Polarized light guiding anisotropic deformation and relaxation in photosensitive polymeric substrates

Abstract

Light-responsive polymers offer unique possibilities for anisotropic manipulation of objects on the micron scale. Here we demonstrate the reversible anisotropic stretching of a polymeric surface made out of an azopolymer-elastomer blend, in response to green laser irradiation with varying polarization. We quantify the stretching parameters and the residual strain after relaxation by means of a Fourier-based analysis, which exploits a periodic 2D pattern imprinted onto the surface.