Optimization of an acrylamide-based dry film used for holographic recording

The Formation of Volume Transmission Gratings in Acrylamide-Based Photopolymers Using Curcumin as a Long-Wavelength Photosensitizer

Curcumin, a natural dye found in the Curcuma longa rhizome, commonly called turmeric, is used as a photosensitizer in acrylamide-based photopolymers for holographic data storage. We studied the absorbance of photopolymer films that show two absorption bands due to curcumin, acrylamide monomer (AA), and the crosslinking agent N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA). Analysis of the real-time diffraction efficiency of these films shows a maximum of 16% for the sample with the highest curcumin concentration. Moreover, increasing the curcumin load enhanced the refractive index contrast from 7.8 × 10^-4 for the photopolymer with the lowest curcumin load to 1.1 × 10^-3 for the photopolymer with the largest load. The sensitivity and diffraction efficiency of the recorded gratings also increased from 7.0 to 9.8 cm·J^-1 and from 7.9 to 16% with the increase in curcumin load, respectively. Finally, the influence of NaOH on the photopolymerization of the AA-curcumin-based sample shows a diffraction efficiency increase with the NaOH content, revealing that the curcumin enol form is more efficient as a photosensitizer.

See-through display combined with holographic display and Maxwellian display using switchable holographic optical element based on liquid lens

We report a switchable holographic optical element based on a liquid lens for a see-through display. For the switchable holographic optical element, we recorded two optical components in the holographic film in two steps. A numerical simulation was also done to define the recording and reconstruction conditions. After the recording process, the entire system was changed from 4f optics to Maxwellian optics by changing wavefront of the reference wave using a liquid lens. The diffraction efficiency was 0.46 for a single element recording and around 0.14 for a double element recording. The holographic display and the Maxwellian display were successfully switched without any crosstalk. The field of view and eye box of the holographic display were 1° and 4.36 mm, respectively, and the field of view and the eye box of the Maxwellian display were 3.8° and 23.2 um, respectively. In the proposed system, spatial frequency filtering by the liquid lens and image shape distortion seriously affected the hologram image. However, we successfully verified the feasibility of our proposed switchable holographic optical element using a liquid lens.

A Review of Hologram Storage and Self-Written Waveguides Formation in Photopolymer Media

Photopolymer materials have received a great deal of attention because they are inexpensive, self-processing materials that are extremely versatile, offering many advantages over more traditional materials. To achieve their full potential, there is significant value in understanding the photophysical and photochemical processes taking place within such materials. This paper includes a brief review of recent attempts to more fully understand what is needed to optimize the performance of photopolymer materials for Holographic Data Storage (HDS) and Self-Written Waveguides (SWWs) applications. Specifically, we aim to discuss the evolution of our understanding of what takes place inside these materials and what happens during photopolymerization process, with the objective of further improving the performance of such materials. Starting with a review of the photosensitizer absorptivity, a dye model combining the associated electromagnetics and photochemical kinetics is presented. Thereafter, the optimization of photopolymer materials for HDS and SWWs applications is reviewed. It is clear that many promising materials are being developed for the next generation optical applications media.

Low-Toxicity Photopolymer for Reflection Holography

A novel composition for a low-toxicity, water-soluble, holographic photopolymer capable of recording bright reflection gratings with diffraction efficiency of up to 50% is reported. The unique combination of two chemical components, namely, a chain transfer agent and a free radical scavenger, is reported to enhance the holographic recording ability of a diacetone acrylamide (DA)-based photopolymer in reflection mode by 3-fold. Characterization of the dependence of diffraction efficiency of the reflection gratings on spatial frequency, recording intensity, exposure energy, and recording wavelength has been carried out for the new low-toxicity material. The use of UV postexposure as a method of improving the stability of the photopolymer-based reflection holograms is reported. The ability of the modified DA photopolymer to record bright Denisyuk holograms which are viewable in different lighting conditions is demonstrated.

A Review of the Optimisation of Photopolymer Materials for Holographic Data Storage

Photopolymers are very interesting as optically sensitive recording media due to the fact that they are inexpensive, self-processing materials with the ability to capture low-loss, high-fidelity volume recordings of 3D illuminating patterns. We have prepared this paper in part in order to enable the recognition of outstanding issues, which limit in particular the data storage capacity in holographic data storage media. In an attempt to further develop the data storage capacity and quality of the information stored, that is, the material sensitivity and resolution, a deeper understanding of such materials in order to improve them has become ever more crucial. In this paper a brief review of the optimisation of photopolymer materials for holographic data storage (HDS) applications is described. The key contributions of each work examined and many of the suggestions made for the improvement of the different photopolymer material discussed are presented.

Analysis of voltage effect on holographic gratings by modulation transfer function

The experimental data allow us to determine the imaging quality of holographic gratings with photosensitive film using organic material based on a polyvinyl alcohol matrix doped with potassium dichromate and nickel (II) chloride hexahydrate. The diffraction efficiency is estimated by different spatial frequencies, and the readout image quality is analyzed by the modulation transfer function. The experiment is carried out, with and without voltage application, at different spatial frequencies to obtain the image quality of photosensitive film.

Highly sensitive and spatially resolved polyvinyl alcohol/acrylamide photopolymer for real-time holographic applications

By employing low molecular-weight polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as binder, the spatial resolution of a red-sensitive PVA/acrylamide based photopolymer are improved from 1000 lines/mm to 3000 lines/mm. By increasing the ambient temperature during the holographic recording, the photosensitivity of photopolymer is also increased about 5 times. The optimized photopolymer system has high capacity such as high photosensitivity (8 mJ/cm(2)), high spatial resolution (over 3000 lines/mm) and high diffraction efficiency (over 94%). To our knowledge, its holographic recording performance is the best of ever reported PVA/acrylamide based photopolymer systems. It has good application prospects in real-time holographic interferometry, holographic storage and holographic display.

Silver-doped photopolymer media for holographic recording

Incorporation of silver ions into a dye-sensitized poly(vinyl alcohol)/acrylamide photopolymer is observed to give better performance compared to other metal-ion-doped photopolymer holographic recording media. Plane-wave transmission gratings were recorded in the photopolymer films using a He-Ne laser, and various holographic parameters were optimized so as to explore maximum potential of the material for various holographic applications. Silver-doped films showed good energy sensitivity, and gratings recorded in optimized film exhibited a diffraction efficiency of more than 75%. The potential of the material for holographic data storage applications is also studied using peristrophic multiplexing.

Enhancement of diffraction efficiency and storage life of poly(vinyl chloride)-based optical recording medium with incorporation of an electron donor

The diffraction efficiency, sensitivity, and storage life of methylene blue-sensitized poly(vinyl chloride) film was improved by the addition of an electron donor in the matrix. The addition of pyridine enhanced the diffraction efficiency by two times, and storage life of the gratings was increased to 2-3 days.

Diffusion-based model to predict the conservation of gratings recorded in poly(vinyl alcohol)-acrylamide photopolymer

Photopolymers are interesting materials for use in recording information in holography. We study the holographic behavior and stability of volume holograms recorded in poly(vinyl alcohol)--acrylamide photopolymers with and without a cross linker. Using a first-harmonic diffusion model, we analyze the residual monomer that remains when volume diffraction gratings are recorded in photopolymer materials. The importance of this residual monomer to the stability of the gratings is evaluated.

Edge-enhanced imaging with polyvinyl alcohol/acrylamide photopolymer gratings

We demonstrate edge-enhanced imaging produced by volume phase gratings recorded on a polyvinyl alcohol/acrylamide photopolymer. Bragg diffraction, exhibited by volume gratings, modifies the impulse response of the imaging system, facilitating spatial filtering operations with no need for a physical Fourier plane. We demonstrate that Kogelnik's coupled-wave theory can be used to calculate the transfer function for the transmitted and the diffracted orders. The experimental and simulated results agree, and they demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal.

Comparison of holographic photopolymer materials by use of analytic nonlocal diffusion models

The one-dimensional diffusion equation governing holographic grating formation in photopolymers, which includes both nonlocal material response and generalized dependence of the rate of polymerization on the illuminating intensity, has been previously solved under the two-harmonic expansion assumption. The resulting analytic expressions for the monomer and polymer concentrations have been derived and their ranges of validity tested in comparison with the more accurate numerical four-harmonic case. We used these analytic expressions to carry out a study of experimental results presented in the literature over a 30-year period. Automatic fitting of the data with these formulas allows material parameters, including the nonlocal chain-length variance sigma, to be estimated. In this way, (i) a quantitative comparison of different materials can be made, and (ii) a standard form of experimental result presentation is proposed to facilitate such a procedure.

Holographic recording in a photopolymer by optically induced detachment of chromophores

We demonstrate holographic recording in a new photopolymer system. The recording material is created by copolymerization of an optically inert monomer, methyl methacrylate, and a second monomer that is optically sensitive. On exposure of the recording material to light, a portion of the optically sensitive component detaches from the polymer matrix and causes hologram amplification through diffusion of the free molecules. We measured postrecording grating amplifications as high as 170% by this process. The recorded holograms are persistent at room temperature under continuous illumination at the recording wavelength.

Diffraction efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio of diffuse-object holograms in real time in polyvinyl alcohol photopolymers

We studied the influence of the beam ratio and intensity on the optical quality of the transmission hologram images of diffuse objects stored in a photopolymer and reconstructed in real time. The signal-to-noise ratio and the diffraction efficiency were used as measures of the optical quality. We obtained a signal-to-noise ratio of 0.94 with a diffraction efficiency of 13% for a beam ratio of 20 and an intensity of 1.2 mW/cm2.