Temperature-dependent kinetics of diffraction gratings formation in a polymer matrix doped with azobenzene chromophores: Monte Carlo simulations and experiment

We review, in a light of recent results, the relevance of Monte Carlo simulations of simple kinetic models of processes accompanying the recording and erasure of diffraction gratings in a polymer matrix doped with azobenzene chrompohores under the illumination with spatially modulated and linearly polarized light, in modelling the temperature-dependent processes observed in real degenerate two-wave mixing (DTWM) experiments. We comment on the perspectives of Monte Carlo based design of effective photonic devices operating on photochromic systems.