Polarized electroluminescence from liquid crystalline polymers

Polymer liquid crystalline materials display unique properties that can be exploited in organic light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Characteristic features are the anisotropy of electronic properties as well as a tendency to form spontaneously homogeneous monodomain films. It is found that liquid crystalline polymers can be used in LEDs to control the state of polarization of the emitted light. A linearly polarized or circularly polarized emission can be achieved depending on the intrinsic structure of the liquid crystalline material and on the corresponding optical properties.