title: Micropatterning of light-sensitive liquid-crystal elastomers.
abstract: We demonstrate that photoisomerizable liquid-crystal elastomer soft films can be used as tunable holographic gratings. Optomechanical mechanism of imprinting one-dimensional grating structure into the soft matrix by two-beam uv laser interference can be clearly resolved from the time dependence of the reading beam diffraction patterns. We analyze the observed response in terms of cis-trans isomerization-controlled modulation of the grating profile. The grating period can be tuned reversibly by stretching or contraction of the specimen, either thermomechanically or by applying external stress. Temperature-induced modifications of the grating parameters in the vicinity of the nematic-paranematic phase transition are also examined.
authors.affiliation: J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Miha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Devetak
authors.forename: Blaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zupancic
authors.forename: Andrija
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lebar
authors.forename: Polona
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Umek
authors.forename: Bostjan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zalar
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Domenici
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ambrozic
authors.forename: Majda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zigon
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Copic
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Drevensek-Olenik
mesh_terms: D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004867:Equipment Design; D008027:Light; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D020724:Elastomers