An electro-optical element based on antiferroelectric liquid crystal (AFLC) has been prepared by photopolymerization-induced anisotropic phase separation of a solution of an AFLC and a prepolymer. It consists of two adjacent layers, one comprised of the isotropic polymer and the other of the AFLC aligned by surface treatment of the adjacent substrate. The electro-optical properties show that these devices are either optically monostable or multistable (at zero field) with maximum memory angle of ∼15°. A qualitative model to describe the origin of memory in these AFLC/polymer composites is discussed. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.