MECHANISM OF OPTICALLY INSCRIBED HIGH-EFFICIENCY DIFFRACTION GRATINGSIN AZO POLYMER-FILMS

A series of amorphous azobenzene-containing polymers were cast as thin films and shown to produce both reversible volume diffraction grating s and high-efficiency sur-face gratings by laser irradiation at an abs orbing wavelength. The latter process involves localized mass transpor t of the polymer chains to a high degree, as atomic force microscopy r eveals surface profile depths near that of the original film thickness , A mechanism for this phenomenon is proposed which involves pressure gradients as a driving force, present due to different photochemical b ehaviors of the azo chromophores ar different regions of the interfere nce pattern. The phase addition of the two beams in the interference p attern leads to regions of high trans-cis-trans isomerization by the a bsorbing azo groups. bordered by regions of low isomerization. As the geometrical isomerization requires free volume in excess of that avail able in the cast films, the photochemical reaction in these areas prod uces a laser-induced internal pressure above the yield point of the ma terial. It is proposed that the resulting viscoelastic now from these high-pressure areas to lower-pressure areas leads to the formation of the regularly spaced sinusoidal surface relief gratings observed by a number of research groups, research groups, but previously unexplained . This mechanism of photoinduced viscoelastic flow agrees well with th e results of experiments investigating the effect of the polarization state of the interfering writing beams and the photochemical behavior of the chromophore, the free volume requirements of the induced geomet ric changes, and the viscoelastic flow of the material.