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Optical patterning in azobenzene polymer films
Author(s) -
STILLER B.,
GEUE T.,
MORAWETZ K.,
SAPHIANNIKOVA M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2005.01500.x
Subject(s) - azobenzene , materials science , optics , optical microscope , polymer , microscope , excitation , laser , thin film , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , physics , scanning electron microscope , composite material , quantum mechanics
Summary Thin azobenzene polymer films show a very unusual property, namely optically induced material transport. The underlying physics for this phenomenon has not yet been thoroughly explained. Nevertheless, this effect enables one to inscribe different patterns onto film surfaces, including one‐ and two‐dimensional periodic structures. Typical sizes of such structures are of the order of micrometers, i.e. related to the interference pattern made by the laser used for optical excitation. In this study we have measured the mechanical properties of one‐ and two‐dimensional gratings, with a high lateral resolution, using force–distance curves and pulse force mode of the atomic force microscope. We also report on the generation of considerably finer structures, with a typical size of 100 nm, which were inscribed onto the polymer surface by the tip of a scanning near‐field optical microscope used as an optical pen. Such inscription not only opens new application possibilities but also gives deeper insight into the fundamentals physics underlying optically induced material transport.