Photomechanical materials are the missing link in all-optical device technologies that require the integration of logic, actuation, sensing and information transmission. In this work, we assess the photomechanical/rheological response of a novel material based on a liquid crystal network. We use these results to determine the material’s figure of merit, which describes the photomechanical efficiency, and compare the results with other representative materials. We also discuss potential mechanisms based on the time evolution of the photomechanical response, and how their contributions affect the total response. The large nonlinearity in these materials is unique and may given them an advantage over existing materials.
Surface patterning of azobenzene-containing thin films using digital holography microscopy with built-in laser interference setup leads a way to rapid fabrication of diffractive optical elements. The light-induced mass-migration of photochromic materials enables the formation of topographies in a one-step photolithographic process, which is a challenge to existing microfabrication methods. A method for in-situ metrology of surface modifications enables the study and control of the inscribed patterns. As example, we present high-resolution and large-area optical elements that were produced by forming the topographies pixel by pixel according to a digital twin.
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