Three distinct regions have been observed in the measured temperature dependence of photoinduced anisotropy in chalcogenide glasses (Se and AsSe). At high temperatures the relaxation of the induced anisotropy is governed by an Arrhenius law with a change of activation energy at the glass-transition temperature ${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{g}}$ (thus suggesting a method for detection of ${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{g}}$ in glasses). Conversely, the low-temperature relaxation is not thermally activated. These observations are explained by introducing a triple-well configurational diagram for the valence-alternation pairs (VAP's) and their environments, which are believed to be responsible. A transient neutral state connects two (initial and final) charged states of the VAP's. A symmetry reversal of the pyramid centered at an overcoordinated chalcogen atom is suggested as a microscopic mechanism for the photoinduced anisotropy.

• Received 29 July 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.55.R660