MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS OF TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF THE KINETICS OF DIFFRACTION GRATINGS FORMATION IN A POLYMER MATRIX CONTAINING AZOBENZENE CHROMOPHORES

A simple kinetic model of temperature-dependent processes accompanying the writing and decay of diffraction gratings in a polymer matrix doped with azo-dye chromophores under illumination with spatially modulated and linearly polarized light is introduced and studied using Monte Carlo simulations. The model generalizes a recently proposed athermal kinetic model based on three-channel photoizomerization cycles of trans–cis type of azobenzene molecules and orientational redistribution and diffusion. These processes are influenced by a polymer matrix in a thermal equilibrium. The Monte Carlo simulations show the important role of temperature on the kinetic processes during building and erasure of diffraction gratings. We discuss some interesting applications for photonic devices, related to all-optical processing and storage of information using holographic methods.