Reorientation Dynamics of Chromophores in Photosensitive Polymers by Means of Coarse‐Grained Modeling

We study the photoisomerization of azobenzene chromophores embedded into a polymer matrix by using coarse‐grained simulations. Two types of beads are considered: t‐ and c‐beads, which are rich in trans and cis isomers, respectively. Simulations combine deterministic (molecular dynamics) and stochastic (random‐type switching) parts. The ratio between the characteristic times for photoinduced reorientation and for orientation relaxation is tuned to be of the order found in experiments. The essential features of the phenomenon: 1) the existence of a stationary state, and 2) anisotropic distribution of the orientations of t‐beads (orientation hole‐burning effect), are reproduced. We study population dynamics of c‐beads and the strength of the orientation hole burning, depending on the illumination wavelength and its intensity. The form of the reorientation potential of the mean force acting on the t‐beads is analyzed and its use is validated.