Optically switchable gratings based on azo-dye-doped, polymer-dispersed liquid crystals

We report a holographically fabricated, optically switchable grating using azo-dye-doped, polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (LCs). Our experiments show that upon photoirradiation, the diffraction of the grating was decreased significantly. We believe that this switching behavior is due to two factors--nematic-isotropic phase transition of LCs and thermal expansion of the grating structure.