Surface relief formation in Ge5As37S58–Se nanomultilayers

•Direct one step surface relief formation in Ge5As37S58–Se nanomultilayer structures.•Raman spectra Se nanolayers shown decreasing of Se8 rings, increasing helical chains.•Relief formation of nano-layered structures depends on nano-periodicity of multilayers.

For the first time direct one-step relief formation of holographic grating with the use of amorphous chalcogenide nanomultilayers of new composition based on Ge5As37S58–Se was studied. Amorphous Ge5As37S58–Se nanomultilayers were prepared by cyclic thermal vacuum deposition. Optical constants of Ge5As37S58–Se nanomultilayers, Ge5As37S58 and α-Se films were obtained from transmission spectra. AFM and Raman investigations were performed for morphology and structural characterization on pointed films. Holographic diffraction gratings with diffraction efficiency of 18% in transmission measured at wavelength λ = 650 nm were directly recorded in one step without etching. High quality of grating sinusoidal relief up to ~ 100 nm groove depth was studied by AFM.