Materials that change their physical properties in response to light irradiation are among smart materials attractive growing interest. Among photosensitive materials reported to display photoinduced phenomena are polymer-based systems. Generally, to achieve photoinduced effect such as photo-darkening/bleaching, photorefraction or photo-contraction/expansion in a polymer film, a photosensitive molecule is incorporated into the polymer structure, and the photoreaction should result in a structural and/or optical change of the polymer leading to a photoinduced change. In this regard, 9-anthraldehyde (AA) has been explored with poly(methylmethacrylate) and has generated large-scale photoinduced deformations [1]. In view of the following study of potential application of photosensitive AA-polymers it is of interest to explore different compositions and to investigate photoinduced effects. Here we report a study of novel composition based on styrene/butyl methacrylate copolymer (SBMA) and 9-anthraldehyde. The preparation and photoinduced behaviour of a new series of SBMA:AA composition is described. The preparation method consisted on dissolving SBMA and AA in toluene (polymer concentration: 5-20 wt%), with following spin-coating of the solution. Thin films with different thiknesses of films (0.9 – 4.5 μm) were obtained by using of different concentration of polymer solution. All samples were prepared with 5 % of AA. The prepared films were investigated by ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy. It was found that the absorption peak of the film in the 370-430 nm with a maximum of 410 nm due to electronic absorption of AA, and the degree of absorption depends on the concentration of AA in the SBMA. The occurrence of giant photoinduced phenomena such as photobleaching in the films of SBMA:AA was confirmed by VIS-irradiation in the spectra 400-500 nm. We note that the contrast coefficient at the wavelength 410 nm reaches 80%. It opens new possibilities of application of this material in amplitude-phase optical recording without surface deformation. For this purpose the diffraction gratings with 2 μm period (480 lines/mm) were recorded using the off-axis Leith-Upatnieks arrangement in converging beams of He-Cd laser at the wavelength of 441.6 nm and total intensity of beams 5 mW/cm2. Forming of phase grating was monitored by diffraction efficiency measuring in polarized light of He-Ne laser at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. The absolute value of the diffraction efficiency was measured at the Bragg angle in the transmission mode as the ratio of the beam intensity diffracted in the first order with respect to the passed zeroorder beam. It was shown that the diffraction efficiency reached 10% at exposure 2.3 J/cm2. The diffraction of red light, i.e. light from the transparence region of the material, indicates the phase nature of the holographic gratings (photoinduced refractive index change). Investigation of degradation of photoinduced changes of the refractive index by thermal treatment of films with recorded gratings showed that the film annealing at a temperature of 45˚ C led to decrease in diffraction efficiency. Discovered photoinduced bleaching with simultaneous refractive index change under light irradiation in SBMA:AA material are important advantages in holographic recording applications. The research described in this publication was supported by the project no. 11.836.05.04A in the framework of the National Programme “Nanotehnologies and nanomaterials”. [1] X. Sun, R. L. Fu, K. Yonemitsu, and K. Nasu. Phys. Rev. A 64(8), 032504 (2001). [2] V. V. Mogil’nyi, Yu. V. Gritsai and S. V. Kovalev. Technical Physics 44(8), 941-944, (1999).