Imaging Studies of photodamage and self-healing in disperse orange 11 dye-doped PMMA

We report on optical imaging studies of self-healing after laser-induced photodamage in disperse orange 11 dye doped into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer. In particular, the high spatial-contrast image of the damage track made by a line focus pump laser allows the recovery rates to be measured as a function of burn dose using the relationship between transverse distance and pump intensity profile. The time evolution of the damaged population results in an intensity-independent time constant of {\tau} = 490\pm23 min, in agreement with independent measurements of the time evolution of amplified spontaneous emission. Also observed is a damage threshold above which the material does not fully recover.