Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Laser-induced phase change in Langmuir films observed using nanosecond pump-probe Brewster angle microscopy

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A technique is described to observe transient events in thin interfacial films and monolayers. p-polarized light has minimum reflectivity at the Brewster angle. When an interface is viewed with light that is both incident and reflected at the Brewster angle the resulting image is dark. However, small refractive index changes can increase the reflectivity producing a high-contrast image of an altered interface with a dark background level. Using this phenomenon, with imaging optics, photo-induced phase change in Langmuir films was monitored. Two synchronized 5-ns pulsed lasers were used in the pump–probe configuration to induce changes at an air–liquid interface and to monitor the resulting morphology changes at selected time delays after photo-excitation. The photo-responsive layers were made from photochromic spiropyrans, having long aliphatic chain substituents. When irradiated with UV light the closed form of the molecule converts to a more planar ring open merocyanine form. This results in the layers changing their morphology in order to accommodate the new molecular form.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. D. Honig, D. Möbius, J. Phys. Chem. 95, 4590 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. S. Siegel, D. Hönig, D. Vollhardt, D. Möbius, J. Phys. Chem. 96, 8157 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. S. Henon, J. Meunier, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 62, 936 (1991)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. J. Hobley, T. Oori, S. Kajimoto, K. Hatanaka, G. Kopitkovas, T. Lippert, H. Fukumura, Colloids Surf. A: Physicochem. Eng. Asp. 284–285, 514 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. J. Hobley, S. Kajimoto, A. Takamizawa, H. Fukumura, Phys. Rev. E 73, 011502 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. A. Takamizawa, S. Kajimoto, J. Hobley, H. Fukumura, Phys. Rev. E 68, 020501R (2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. M. Matsumoto, T. Nakazawa, R. Azumi, H. Tachibana, Y. Yamanaka, H. Sakai, M. Abe, J. Phys. Chem. B 106, 11487 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. M. Matsumoto, T. Nakazawa, R. Azumi, H. Tachibana, Y. Yamanaka, H. Sakai, M. Abe, J. Phys. Chem. B 106, 11487 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. T. Minami, N. Tamai, T. Yamazaki, I. Yamazaki, J. Phys. Chem. 95(10), 3988 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. D. Möbius, H. Grüniger, Charge and Field Effects in Biosystems (Abacus, Tunbridge Wells, 1984), p. 265

    Google Scholar 

  11. E.E. Polymeropoulus, D. Möbius, Ber. Bunsenges. Phys. Chem. 83, 1215 (1979)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. J. Hobley, M. Lear, H. Fukumura, Photo-Switching Spiropyrans and Related Compounds in Molecular and Supramolecular Photochemistry, vols. 9–10 (Marcel Dekker, New York, 2003), p. 353

    Google Scholar 

  13. M. Bletz, U. Pfeifer-Fukumura, U. Kolb, W. Baumann, J. Phys. Chem. A 106, 2232 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. J. Hobley, V. Malatesta, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2, 57 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. J. Hobley, V. Malatesta, W. Giroldini, W. Stringo, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2, 53 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. J. Hobley, V. Malatesta, L. Montanari, W. O’Neil Parker Jr., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 1, 3259 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. J. Hobley, V. Malatesta, R. Millini, W. Giroldini, L. Wis, M. Goto, M. Kishimoto, H. Fukumura, J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun. 14, 1339 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. N. Sallime, J.M. Shaw, Fluid Phase Equilib. 237, 100 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. R.C. Bertelson, Photochromic Processes Involving Heterogeneous Cleavage in Photochromism (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1971), p. 49

    Google Scholar 

  20. J. Hobley, S. Nishio, K. Hatanaka, H. Fukumura, in Handbook of Photochemistry and Photobiology, vol. 2 (American Scientific, Los Angeles, 2003), p. 257

    Google Scholar 

  21. E. Ando, J. Hibino, T. Hashida, K. Morimoto, Thin Solid Films 160(1–2), 279 (1988)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. E. Ando, J. Miyazaki, K. Morimoto, H. Nakahra, K. Fukuda, Thin Solid Films 133, 21 (1985)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. K. Saitow, H. Banjo, N. Ichinose, S. Kawanishi, H. Masuhara, H. Fukumura, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 145, 159 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Q. Tran-Cong, J. Kawai, Y. Nishikawa, H. Jinnai, Phys. Rev. E 60, 171 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. J. Hobley, S. Kajimoto, A. Takamizawa, K. Ohta, Q. Tran-Cong, H. Fukumura, J. Phys. Chem. B 107, 11411 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. P. Uznanski, Synth. Met. 109, 281 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 3 Research Link, Singapore, 117602, Singapore

    Jonathan Hobley & Sergey Gorelik

  2. Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-9578, Japan

    Tomoya Oori, Shinji Kajimoto & Hiroshi Fukumura

  3. Nanofilm Technologie GmbH, Anna-Vandenhoeck-Ring 5, 37081, Göttingen, Germany

    Dirk Hönig

  4. Nanotechnology Research Center RIES, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan

    Koji Hatanaka

Authors
  1. Jonathan Hobley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tomoya Oori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shinji Kajimoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sergey Gorelik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dirk Hönig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Koji Hatanaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hiroshi Fukumura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan Hobley.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hobley, J., Oori, T., Kajimoto, S. et al. Laser-induced phase change in Langmuir films observed using nanosecond pump-probe Brewster angle microscopy. Appl. Phys. A 93, 947–954 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4742-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4742-5

PACS

Search

Navigation