Electric dichroism of a multiwell spectral hole as an indicator of anisotropy in the distribution of stark moments of impurity molecules

Burning of multiwell holes in impurity-absorption spectra of glasses and polymers in an alternating electric field was theoretically studied. A case of circularly polarized burning radiation with a spectrum consisting of a series of close equidistant lines that shift synchronously with the variation of the electric field across the sample was considered. It was shown that an electric field applied to the sample after hole burning changes the optical density in the hole center, and that this change depends on the orientation of the plane of polarization of the probing radiation. Centrosymmetric impurity molecules, whose Stark moments (with randomly distributed magnitudes and directions) are governed only by their interaction with matrix molecules, and molecules with small intrinsic permanent Stark moments were considered. It was shown that the measurements of electric dichroism of a multiwell spectral hole make it possible to study both the anisotropy of matrix-induced moments and additional moments that arise, for example, when a metal atom leaves the plane of a metalloporphyrin molecule. It was also shown that the sensitivity and selectivity of the suggested method exceed those of known methods.