Surface relief diffraction gratings inscribed on azobenzene‐containing polymers are designed to act as light couplers into slab waveguides. The gratings are inscribed both directly in poly{4‐[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]azobenzene} (pMEA) waveguide material, and in an azopolymer cladding layer applied to polyimide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride films. Input and output coupling of both 633 and 830 nm light is observed in the waveguides. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.