Surface relief gratings (SRGs) on organic thin films are studied extensively for both scientific interest and in relevance to the applications. Among the chromophores being used the azobenzenes showed the best performance, but the use of alternative photo-sensitive groups provides better general understanding of the phenomena. A thermodynamic theory and molecular dynamics simulations of photoinduced effects are discussed. In this study we use indandione derivatives, known as promising materials for photonics applications, as an alternative to the azobenzenes. We consider their photoreactions when incorporated into a polymer film. One of interesting features is the spectral dependence of the diffraction of indandione containing gratings, which is observed and discussed. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.