Efficient Photo-Response of Azobenzene-based Compounds for Holographic Recording

One of the challenges for azobenzene-based materials in fabricating rewritable surface relief gratings is the long response time in the procedure of holographic recording, making it inefficient in real-time applications. In this study, a small molecule azobenzene compound with a facile fabrication route is presented. By a total recording intensity of 200 mW/cm(2), a surface relief grating with the modulation depth of 758 nm can be formed in 5 min. The +/- 1st order diffraction was observed immediately after the holographic recording, and the +/- 2nd order diffraction was produced in two seconds. Such a short response time makes it possible for use in real-time applications.