Novel laser-optical recording elements which can be repeatedly erased and recorded on contain recording layers (a) which exhibit enantiotropic, ferroelectric smectic liquid crystalline (S.sub.C*) behavior, so that they can be switched back and forth between two thermodynamically stable, optically distinguishable ferroelectric smectic liquid crystlaline S.sub.C* order states on exposure to a laser beam of sufficient luminous power, by applying an external electric field. The recording layers (a) themselves consist mainly or exclusively of novel polymers P having chiral mesogenic side groups. The novel polymers P are prepared using the novel monomers of the general formula I ##STR1## where R is hydrogen, chlorine or methyl, A is a flexible space-maintaining long-chain molecular moiety, and C is an optically active chiral molecular moiety and B is a mesogenic molecular moiety composed of at least three aromatic nuclei which are bonded linearly or virtually linearly to one another, or they are prepared using the novel monomers I which contain specially selected molecular moieties B in a novel combination with selected molecular moieties C.
新型激光光学记录元件可以重复擦除和记录,其中包含表现出对映异质性、
铁电液晶(S.sub.C*)行为的记录层(a),因此它们可以在暴露在足够光亮功率的激光束下,通过施加外部电场在两个热力学稳定、光学可区分的
铁电液晶S.sub.C*有序状态之间来回切换。记录层(a)本身主要或仅由具有手性介向侧基团的新型聚合物P组成。这些新型聚合物P是使用通式I的新型单体制备的
其中R为氢、
氯或甲基,A为柔性空间维持长链分子基团,C为光学活性的手性分子基团,B为由至少三个芳香核线性或几乎线性结合在一起的向列的向列液晶分子基团,或者它们是使用包含特别选定的分子基团B和选定的分子基团C的新型单体I制备的。