Patterned polarized fluorescence from a thin film

Patterned polarized fluorescence from a thin film comprised of fluorescent dichroic dye dispersed in liquid crystalline polymer is demonstrated with features as small as 11 μm. Cooperative alignment of these fluorescent dichroic molecules in a liquid crystal polymer leads to films exhibiting polarized green, red, and yellow emission. The dichroic fluorescence emission ratios for these films are 10 to 16 depending on the type of the dye. This simple strategy could be utilized for generating large area linearly polarized light sources or electroluminescent displays.