The phenomenon of vector polyphotochromism within a wide spectral range is revealed in organic polarization-sensitive materials when material is illuminated with linearly polarized actinic light. The effect has a purely vector nature, while the transmission spectrum of the exposed material essentially changes in case of observing between crossed polarizers and the change in the spectrum unambiguously depends on the energy exposure. A significant dependence of the kinetic of the vector polyphotochromism induction on the power density of linearly polarized actinic light (445 nm) is shown for probing beam of 635 nm. It is also shown that the kinetics of the effect depends on the degree of integration of the component molecules of the material by the cohesion of both ways the electrostatic forces (by use mineral electrolytes and polyelectrolytes) and the covalent bonds (azopolymers based on different chromophores), as well as on the photosensitive layer thickness and the concentration of the chromophore. The mechanism of the phenomenon is discussed. Considering the fact that the change in the spectral characteristics occurs throughout the full visible range, this effect may be used for creating the spectrally selective dynamic polarization holographic gratings, displays based on new physical principles, and also for creating modulators and dynamic polarization spectral filters controlled by light.

Date Published: 5 September 2015
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 9564, Light Manipulating Organic Materials and Devices II, 95640L (5 September 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2188049

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9564:
Light Manipulating Organic Materials and Devices II
Jon A. Schuller, Editor(s)