Transient gratings in thin films and bulk azo-dye-containing poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix

Abstract

Using holographic recording technology, two kinds of transient diffraction gratings were demonstrated in azo-dye doped Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films and bulk matrices respectively. In PMMA films containing azo-dye Disperse Red 13 (DR13), the refractive index gratings came from the reorientation of azo-dye molecules in different areas with different polarization distribution of recording beams. The characteristics of the transient gratings in films samples which were recorded by two mutually parallel polarization beams (PP and SS) as well as orthogonal linear polarization beams (PS and ±45°) from an Ar ion laser (514nm) were investigated by monitoring the first order diffraction intensity of the readout He-Ne laser beam (632.8nm). With the interaction of bi-photonic lights at 514nm and 632.8nm, the transient gratings in azo-dye DR13 doped PMMA bulk matrices was a kind of population gratings of Trans and Cis isomers, which was attributed to the weak absorption of Cis isomers at 632.8nm and the positive dichroism of Trans isomers at 514nm. Furthermore, the all-optical switching behavior of the two kinds of transient holographic gratings were observed repeatedly by turning on and off the writing beams, and a response time at the magnitude of ten milliseconds order could be obtained.