@article{YadavalliSaphiannikovaSanter2014,
  author    = {Yadavalli, Nataraja Sekhar and Saphiannikova, Marina and Santer, Svetlana},
  title     = {Photosensitive response of azobenzene containing films towards pure intensity or polarization interference patterns},
  series = {Applied physics letters},
  volume    = {105},
  journal   = {Applied physics letters},
  number    = {5},
  publisher = {American Institute of Physics},
  address   = {Melville},
  issn      = {0003-6951},
  doi       = {10.1063/1.4891615},
  pages     = {5},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {In this paper, we report on differences in the response of photosensitive azobenzene containing films upon irradiation with the intensity or polarization interference patterns. Two materials are studied differing in the molecular weight: an azobenzene-containing polymer and a molecular glass formed from a much smaller molecule consisting of three connected azobenzene units. Topography changes occurring along with the changes in irradiation conditions are recorded using a homemade set-up combining an optical part for generation and shaping of interference patterns and an atomic force microscope for acquiring the kinetics of film deformation. In this way, we could reveal the unique behavior of photosensitive materials during the first few minutes of irradiation: the change in topography is initially driven by an increase in the azobenzene free volume along with the transcis isomerization, followed by the mass transport finally resulting in the surface relief grating. This study demonstrates the great potential of our setup to experimentally highlight puzzling processes governing the formation of surface relief gratings. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.},
  language  = {en}
}