Holographic photomobile polymers (H-PMP) are a novel class of photomobile materials in which holograms can be optically recorded. They can be used in a large variety of applications, including optical switches and color selectors. In this work, we show one of the most important properties of the photomobile film, which is the photophobicity of the unpolymerized parts of the photomobile mixture. In order to investigate this property, we recorded a transmission phase grating on an H-PMP film, and used a different experimental technique to measure the diffraction efficiency, surface tension, and mixture properties. The results allowed for a better understanding of the mechanism of the light-controlled bending observed in these compounds.
Keywords: all-optical control; holography; photomobile polymer; photophobicity.