Homopolymers suitable for storage of information provided optically are disclosed. The are formed from monomers which contain groupings which are at least trinuclear, which are capable of absorbing the electromagnetic radiation of visible light, and which are structured so that in their thermodynamically stable state they are distended and strongly anisometric, wherein the at least trinuclear groupings comprise at least one electron-attracting substituent which gives rise to a dipole moment which forms an angle of at least 20.degree. with the longitudinal axis of the at least trinuclear groupings, wherein the at least trinuclear groupings contain at least one nucleus-linking group which is suitable for a photo-induced change in configuration, wherein said group is selected from the set consisting of ##STR00001##