UNUSUAL POLARIZATION-DEPENDENT OPTICAL ERASURE OF SURFACE-RELIEF GRATINGS ON AZOBENZENE POLYMER-FILMS

Direct formation of surface relief gratings at modest intensities on a zobenzene polymers has recently been accomplished. Unusual optical era sure of these surface relief gratings was observed. It is found that t he optical erasure is dependent on the polarization state of the erasi ng beam as well as that of the recording beams used to form the gratin gs. Thus, gratings when formed memorize the polarization states which created them and influence their erasure behaviors accordingly. Direct transfer of patterns by photoprinting through a phase mask has been a chieved. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)01220- 0].