Radical polymerization in holographic grating formation in PQ-PMMA photopolymer part II: Consecutive exposure and dark decay

Photochemical radical polymerization in phenathrenequinone doped poly(methyl methacrylate) photopolymer are investigated theoretically and experimentally under consecutive exposure. The detailed photochemical mechanisms are analyzed. Based on the rate equations of photochemical reactions, the diffusion models with nonlocal response are proposed to describe the kinetic process of radical polymerization and the significance of photochemical processes for the grating formation. In experiments, the temporal evolution of diffraction efficiency in grating formation is measured under consecutive exposure and after exposure. The percentages of these radical polymerizations, namely the polymerization of PQ with matrix, the bimolecular combination of MMA molecules, and the disproportionation of MMA molecules, are extracted quantitatively by comparing theory with experiments. It is indicated that the polymerization of PQ with matrix is primary photochemical process which dominated the grating formation under consecutive exposure. In this period, the contribution of chain polymerization of MMA radicals is weak for the grating formation. After reaching the peak values of grating strength, the influence of the free MMA molecules and photoproduct macromolecules on the grating decay is discussed in a long-term period. The diffusion coefficients of MMA and photoproduct are extracted by fitting the curves using double exponential function. MMA’s diffusion contributed to the fast decay process of grating after exposure and photoproduct’s diffusion contributed to the slow and long decay of grating. The results break previous understanding about the diffusion of single photoproduct macromolecules lead to the dark decay of grating. This investigation can provide a significant foundation for improving modulation depth and long-term stability by photochemical mechanism.