Unusual photoanisotropic alignment in amorphous azobenzene polymers: Photoanisotropy

It is well known that irradiation of azobenzene polymer films between 490 and 530nm results in alignment of molecules perpendicular to the polarization of the incident beam. I have recently found that irradiation of amorphous azobenzene polymers with linearly polarized light at wavelengths between 560 and 630nm, where the absorption is minimal, results in a possible uniaxial hedgehog arrangement of the molecules. Experiments performed with a dye laser, which can be tuned continuously between 560 and 630nm, are described. Not only azobenzene but also another photosensitive molecule, bacteriorhodopsin, seems to exhibit this behavior.