Abstract: Information stored in a thin polymer layer is read out in a process wherein information introduced into a thin polymer layer on a metallic or semiconductor layer by electromagnetic or particle rays which produce a permanent change in the properties of the polymer layer in the irradiated areas is read out using surface plasmons.

Abstract: Thin films which contain a defined concentration of dye per unit area and are useful as layer elements, e.g. for optical filters, are prepared by spreading an oleophilic dye which is soluble in an organic water-immiscible solvent and an organic polymer dissolved in an organic solvent as a thin film at the water/air interface and, after the solvent has evaporated, transferring said film by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique to a solid base material.

Abstract: Thin films are produced by a process in which organic polymers having long-chain side groups are dissolved in an organic solvent, the solution is spread at the water/air interface by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique and the film is transferred onto a solid base material after evaporation of the organic solvent, and the organic polymers used are those which contain long-chain n-alkyl side groups bonded to the main chain of the polymer via polar groups, and some of these long-chain n-alkyl side groups are replaced by shorter-chain n-alkyl side groups, by branched alkyl side groups having the same or a smaller number of carbon atoms or by equally long or shorter side groups having one or more C-C multiple bonds.This process can be used to produce film elements, for example for optical filters.