Optical phase conjugation in novel azo-dye-doped PMMA films

We report the study of azo-doped polymers using optical phase conjugation experiments in a degenerate four-wave mixing geometry using an argon ion laser at 488 nm. The photopolymer systems are constituted by PMMA films of 10 micrometers thick doped with novel push-pull azo-dyes. We have also performed real-time dynamic holography using these azo dye-doped PMMA systems. Coherent and non-coherent detection of the diffracted signal show complex holographic behavior of the systems as for the formation and erasure of the holograms. Light induced absorption in the red and near infrared band is observed and studied experimentally. Photophysical mechanisms are also discussed.