| abstract |
A liquid crystalline polymer which is prepared from a monomer having a large twisting force, has an excellent film-forming property, can easily regulate the spiral pitch of a cholesteric phase, can form Grandjean alignment in a good monodomain state by effecting alignment in a short time of several minutes, and can be stably fixed in a vitreous state; and a circular dichroic optical element which is represented by general formula (a), comprises a solidification product of a liquid crystalline polymer, is thin, lightweight and less likely to cause a change in alignment states, such as pitch, at a practical temperature, and has excellent durability and storage stability. The optically active monomer is represented by general formula (a) wherein R1 represents hydrogen or a methyl group; and A and B represent each an organic group. The liquid crystalline polymer is of side chain type and comprises structural units comprising the optically active monomer. The optical element comprises a solidified layer of a Grandjean-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal phase comprising the polymer and exhibits circular dichroism. |