PHASE GRATING RECORDING ON PHOTOSENSITIVE LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILMS

Photosensitive Langmuir-Blodgett films composed of amphiphilic azo-com pounds were used as medium for formation of erasable holographic grati ngs. The gratings were recorded and erased by Ar laser pump beams of d ifferent wavelengths, power and polarization and read out by a probe H e-Ne laser beam. The process of the phase grating formation was modell ed based on a simple three dimensional mechanism of the light induced reorientation of azo-chromophore axes outward of the exciting light el ectric vector.