Surface deformations and amplitude-phase recording in chalcogenide nanolayered structures

Abstract Enhanced intermixing, induced by a laser beam, has been recently observed in amorphous Se/As2S3 and similar multilayers. We report on the experimental observation of the overall change of thickness due to the light-stimulated interdiffusion and present a model of this process. This offers a new mechanism of optical recording in light sensitive chalcogenides. The recording efficiency depends on the thickness ratio of the component layers and on the modulation period of the multilayer.