The transport and trapping of photocharges in liquid crystals placed between photoconductive polymer layers was investigated systematically. The transport of the photocharges is explained in terms of current paths that are formed along the bright sites of an interference pattern. Our study shows clearly that charge trapping occurs predominantly in the photoconductive poly(N-vinylcarbazole) layers and not in the insulating poly(vinyl alcohol) layers, contrary to a previous report. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.