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Athermal photofluidization of glasses

Author

Listed:
  • G.J. Fang

    (University of Colorado)

  • J.E. Maclennan

    (University of Colorado)

  • Y. Yi

    (University of Colorado)

  • M.A. Glaser

    (University of Colorado)

  • M. Farrow

    (University of Colorado)

  • E. Korblova

    (University of Colorado)

  • D.M. Walba

    (University of Colorado)

  • T.E. Furtak

    (Colorado School of Mines
    Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado)

  • N.A. Clark

    (University of Colorado)

Abstract

Azobenzene and its derivatives are among the most important organic photonic materials, with their photo-induced trans–cis isomerization leading to applications ranging from holographic data storage and photoalignment to photoactuation and nanorobotics. A key element and enduring mystery in the photophysics of azobenzenes, central to all such applications, is athermal photofluidization: illumination that produces only a sub-Kelvin increase in average temperature can reduce, by many orders of magnitude, the viscosity of an organic glassy host at temperatures more than 100 K below its thermal glass transition. Here we analyse the relaxation dynamics of a dense monolayer glass of azobenzene-based molecules to obtain a measurement of the transient local effective temperature at which a photo-isomerizing molecule attacks its orientationally confining barriers. This high temperature (Tloc~800 K) leads directly to photofluidization, as each absorbed photon generates an event in which a local glass transition temperature is exceeded, enabling collective confining barriers to be attacked with near 100% quantum efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • G.J. Fang & J.E. Maclennan & Y. Yi & M.A. Glaser & M. Farrow & E. Korblova & D.M. Walba & T.E. Furtak & N.A. Clark, 2013. "Athermal photofluidization of glasses," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-10, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms2483
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2483
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