Photoinduced Orientation and Some of Its Photonic Consequences in Amorphous Azo-Containing Polymers

摘要

Photoinduced birefringence, surface gratings inscription and two-beam couplingproperties are investigated on a series of amorphous high-Tg azo-containing polymers. For photoinduced birefringence, a neighboring group effect was observed, and dipolar interaction is demonstrated to be the main factor determining cooperative motion of side groups below Tg. Surface gratings can act as optical couplers into waveguides on the polymer films. Asymmetrical (photorefractive) and two-beam coupling due to multiwave mixing can be exploited for switching elements. In principle, a whole photonic device can be envisaged on simple polymer film and obtained by optical inscription.