Surface relief grating in hybrid films composed of azobenzene polymer and liquid crystal molecule

Generation of surface relief grating (SRG) in hybrid films containing an azobenzene-functionalized polymer (6Az10-PVA) and a nematic liquid crystal molecule, 4′-pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) is described. The sinusoidally modulated surface structures due to large-scale substance migration in the hybrid film were formed upon exposure to interferometric argon ion (Ar+) laser beam in a strikingly short period. An obvious stoichiometric character in the mixing ratio was observed to achieve the most efficient mass transfer in this binary composite system. The stability and erasion of SRG in the heating process was also investigated.

[1]  T. Seki,et al.  Surface Relief Gratings in Host–Guest Supramolecular Materials , 2000 .

[2]  Manfred Eich,et al.  Reversible digital and holographic optical storage in polymeric liquid crystals , 1987 .

[3]  T. Seki,et al.  Command surfaces of Langmuir-Blodgett films. Photoregulations of liquid crystal alignment by molecularly tailored surface azobenzene layers , 1993 .

[4]  Jayant Kumar,et al.  Single laser beam-induced surface deformation on azobenzene polymer films , 1998 .

[5]  Takashi Fukuda,et al.  Photoinduced surface relief gratings on azopolymer films: Analysis by a fluid mechanics model , 1999 .

[6]  Paul Rochon,et al.  Optically induced surface gratings on azoaromatic polymer films , 1995 .

[7]  Jayant Kumar,et al.  Gradient force: The mechanism for surface relief grating formation in azobenzene functionalized polymers , 1998 .

[8]  J. Wendorff,et al.  Functionalized Liquid-Crystalline Donor–Acceptor Triple Compounds Containing Azobenzene for Optical Storage , 1999 .

[9]  J. Kumar,et al.  Laser‐induced holographic surface relief gratings on nonlinear optical polymer films , 1995 .

[10]  K. Ichimura,et al.  Surface relief gratings generated by a photocrosslinkable polymer with styrylpyridine side chains , 2000 .

[11]  Søren Hvilsted,et al.  MEAN-FIELD THEORY OF PHOTOINDUCED FORMATION OF SURFACE RELIEFS IN SIDE-CHAIN AZOBENZENE POLYMERS , 1998 .

[12]  Paul Rochon,et al.  Model of laser-driven mass transport in thin films of dye-functionalized polymers , 1998 .

[13]  S. Hvilsted,et al.  Atomic force and optical near‐field microscopic investigations of polarization holographic gratings in a liquid crystalline azobenzene side‐chain polyester , 1996 .