Thin, intrinsically achiral films of a side-chain polymeric liquid crystal system doped with photochromic azobenzene molecules exhibited dynamic chiroptical properties when irradiated with circularly polarized light (CPL). Photoinduced circular anisotropy was observed in these films with increasing CPL irradiation time. Reversible chiroptical switching was also realized by alternating irradiation with right- and left-CPL We also monitored photoinduced chirality as a function of excitation wavelength. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.