Patent ID: 7998587

Claim:
A method of modifying light, comprising: providing an optical element comprising an oriented polymer network, the oriented polymer network comprising a silicone (meth)acrylate copolymer and exhibiting a first phase and a second phase, the first phase and the second phase being chemically connected and having different refractive indices, the first phase being continuous, and the second phase comprising a plurality of structures dispersed within the first phase; illuminating the optical element with light from a light source; and detecting polarized or directionally diffused light transmitted by the optical element, wherein the silicon (meth)acrylate copolymer comprises a telechelic siloxane comprising bis(3-aminopropyl)polydimethylsiloxane or a compound represented by the formula: wherein R is a divalent hydrocarbon group; n is an integer from about 15 to about 1000; and Y is selected from the group consisting of: wherein R 2 is independently an alkyl, haloalkyl, aralkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aryl substituted with an alkyl, alkoxy, or halo; G is independently an alkylene, aralkylene, or a combination thereof; and x is equal to an integer of from about 15 to about 1000.