Abstract: A polymeric material which is capable of forming high modulus, biaxially orientable structures of a cholesteric mesophase, wherein said polymeric material comprises an optically active monomer which is condensation co-polymerized with at least one p-phenylene containing monomer which is itself capable of forming a polymer exhibiting a nematic mesophase, or which is capable of being copolymerized with a second monomer to form a nematic mesophase, or which is capable of being copolymerized with racemic mixture of said optically active monomers to form a nematic mesophase, wherein the resulting copolymer is characterized by a degree of inflexibility sufficient to form a mesophase and wherein said optically active monomer is present in said polymer after copolymerization in an amount sufficient to impart optical activity to said polymer sufficient to form a cholesteric mesophase.