Optical device including birefringent aromatic amino carboxylic acid polymer

An optical device including a transparent molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer, said highly birefringent polymer comprising repeating molecular units exhibiting high electron density substantially cylindrically distributed about the long axes of the polymer and the repeating units thereof, said highly birefringent polymer being substantially optically uniaxial exhibiting only two indices of refraction, said molecularly oriented highly birefringent polymer comprising recurring units of the formula ##STR69## wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl, and A is a divalent radical selected from the group consisting of

• (1) a radical ##STR70## where U is a substituent other than hydrogen, each W is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen, p is an integer from 1 to 3, each X is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen and r is an integer from 1 to 4, said U, W.sub.p and X.sub.r substitution being sufficient to provide said radical with a non-coplanar molecular configuration;
• and
• (2) a radical ##STR71## where each of Y and Z is hydrogen or a substituent other than hydrogen and each t is an integer from 1 to 4, with the proviso that when each said Z is hydrogen, at least one said Y substituent is a substituent other than hydrogen positioned on the corresponding nucleus ortho with respect to the ##STR72## moiety of said radical, said Z and Y.sub.t substitution being sufficient to provide said radical with a non-coplanar molecular configuration.