title: Optical Modulation of the Diffraction Efficiency in an Indoline Azobenzene/Amorphous Polycarbonate Film.
abstract: We have made a diffraction grating in an indoline azobenzene/amorphous polycarbonate film by two-beam interference at 532 nm that periodically photodegrades the indoline azobenzene dye. Subsequent illumination of the film with 532-nm light into the trans-isomer band leads to trans-cis isomerization in the indoline azobenzene dye and results in a decrease in the trans-isomer band absorption coefficient. This causes the diffraction efficiency to decrease when probed at 655 nm. The diffraction efficiency returns to its original value when the 532-nm light is blocked by thermal relaxation from the indoline azobenzene cis-isomer to the trans-isomer. Thus, we have been able to optically modulate the diffraction efficiency in a thin film diffraction grating.
authors.affiliation: MacDairmid Institute, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand. Grant.Williams@VUW.ac.nz.
authors.forename: G V M
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Callaghan Innovation, PO Box 31310, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand.
authors.forename: My T T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Do
authors.affiliation: MacDairmid Institute, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand.|Callaghan Innovation, PO Box 31310, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.affiliation: Callaghan Innovation, PO Box 31310, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.affiliation: Callaghan Innovation, PO Box 31310, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M D H
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bhuiyan
authors.affiliation: Callaghan Innovation, PO Box 31310, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kay
keywords: Diffraction grating; Indoline azobenzene; Photochromic; Thin film