Abstract

Photopolymer compositions used as holographic recording media are of interest for their promise of good sensitivity and excellent diffraction efficiency. A typical composition consists of a sensitizing dye, reactive monomer, and inert matrix. Light initiates polymerization, resulting in formation of a volume phase hologram. The mechanism of grating formation involves both periodic modulation of the medium's molar refractivity and its mass density. Experiments with Polaroid's DMP-128 medium show that a latent grating is formed immediately on exposure, and that the diffraction efficiency of the latent grating changes with time.

© 1989 Optical Society of America