Surface relief gratings generated by pulsed holography: A simple way to polymer nanostructures without isomerizing side-chains

Photoaddressable polymers based on azobenzene side-chains have recently drawn a lot of industrial attention due to their possible application as data storage media. From the scientific point of view an additional effect, the occurrence of light induced surface relief gratings, is nowadays extensively studied. This article describes the behavior of side-chain and guest-host polymers (with and without azobenzene groups) in holographic experiments with pulse lasers. We observe surface relief gratings also for polymers, which only contain an absorbing, but nonisomerizing chromophore. Relief formation in pulsed holographic experiments is shown to arise from thermal effects, but not from trans-cis isomerization. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.