Abstract

We present results of using a low-power laser diode to record a real-time hologram in a specially doped LiNbO₃ crystal in this paper. The important aspect of this specially doped photorefractive crystal is that the sensitivity to red light is several orders higher than that of the conventional crystals, for which it makes the construction of a crystal hologram by using a low power, small size, and low cost laser diode possible. One of the major disadvantages of using the currently available crystals to record holograms is the high power requirement of the light source. Since the low power diode laser is used for the writing and the reading processes, the specially doped crystal hologram can last much longer than that of a high power laser. In the experiments, a 10 mW laser diode with an output wavelength of 670 nm is used. Our results show that very good reconstructed images can be obtained by using a simple diode laser. Because of the low- power requirement, this specially doped crystal would have a significant impact on many practical applications, namely, optical interconnections, switching, etc.

© 1992 Optical Society of America