Recording of Surface Relief in Azobenzene Containing Low Molecular Weight Organic Glasses

摘要

One of the used methods to induce mass motion on the surface of azopolymer films is holographic recording using laser wavelength corresponding to the absorption band of the azo compound. The sinusoidal light interference pattern on the surface of the sample leads to a sinusoidal surface patterning - a stable surface relief grating (SRG). As confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), these gratings are found to be very large, with depth up to hundreds of nanometres and they diffract light very efficiently. In this work azobenzene containing low molecular weight organic glass K-RJ-8 was experimentally studied. The compound absorbs at the visible spectrum, holographic recording in this range using different polarization states of the recording beams was done. Diffraction efficiency was measured during the recording of the SRG. The relationship between formation of SRG and photoinduced birefringence is discussed.