Volume phase holographic elements are becoming attractive thanks to the large efficiency and good optical quality. They are based on photosensitive materials where a modulation of the refractive index is induced. In this paper, we highlight the strategies to obtain a change in the refractive index in a dielectric material, namely a change in the material density and/or in the molecular polarizability. Moreover, we show the results achieved for materials that undergo the photo-Fries reaction as function of the molecular structure and the illumination conditions. We also report the results on a system based on the diazo Meldrum’s acid where volatile molecules are produced upon light exposure.

Date Published: 31 May 2017
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 10233, Holography: Advances and Modern Trends V, 102330L (31 May 2017); doi: 10.1117/12.2264908

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10233:
Holography: Advances and Modern Trends V
Miroslav Hrabovský; John T. Sheridan; Antonio Fimia, Editor(s)