Abstract

Spatio-temporal holography using persistent spectral hole-burning in dye molecules embedded in plastic films is promising for applications such as femtosecond pulse shaping, data storage or phase conjugation. In addition to the common 2 spatial dimensions of classical holograms, each point in the sample plane can be used to store spectral informations such as the shape of a femtosecond pulse. On each point of the sample, spectral interferences between a reference pulse and an object pulse (for example chirped) are recorded via spectral hole-burning in the absorption band of the dye molecule. As early as 1983, photon echo and time-reversal experiments using persistent spectral hole-burning were performed in porphyrazine styrol solutions at 630 nm [1]. Then several developments, like the reconstruction of the polarization state of object pulses [2], time and space holography [3,4], image holograms using a single pair of femtosecond pulses [5] were demonstrated in different photosensitive media.

© 2002 Optical Society of America