Optical field-induced surface relief formation on chalcogenide and azo-benzene polymer films

Abstract

The dependence of the surface relief formation in amorphous As2S3 and Disperse Red 1dye grafted polyurethane polymer films on the polarization state of recording light was studied. It is shown that the direction of mass transport on the film surface is determined by the direction of light electric vector and photoinduced anisotropy in the film. We propose a photoinduced dielectropfhoretic model to explain the photoinduced mass transport in amorphous films. Model is based on the photoinduced softening of the matrix, formation of defects with enhanced or decreased polarizability, and their drift under the electrical field gradient of light.