Three gratings coupling during the holographic grating recording process in azobenzene-functionalized polymer

The authors present a mechanism explaining complex diffraction efficiency dynamics of the holographic grating recording process in azobenzene-functionalized polymer. The mechanism assumes simultaneous formation of three coupling phase gratings with different recording time constants and constant, equal to 0 or pi, phase shifts between them. Two of gratings originate from the refractive index changes in the bulk of material and the third one from the surface relief modulation. Diffraction efficiency dynamics curves calculated using the proposed model are in a very good agreement with the experimental results. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.