A series of poly {4'-{(X-methacryloyloxyalkylene) methylamino}-4-nitroazobenzene}(p X MAN, where X is the number of methylene units and varies from 2 to 12) polymers with liquid crystalline (LC) properties was synthesized. When annealed above their T g values, the whole series of polymers exhibits a stable smectic A mesophase while only the material with the shorter spacer, p2MAN, presents a smectic phase followed by a nematic phase. The ...