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Laserphotochemistry by holographic grating experiments with quantum limited detection sensitivity and holographic optical information storage by photopolymer systems
Author(s) -
Bräuchle Ch. R.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
makromolekulare chemie. macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 0258-0322
DOI - 10.1002/masy.19880180116
Subject(s) - holography , grating , optics , holographic data storage , optical storage , sensitivity (control systems) , materials science , optoelectronics , diffraction grating , holographic grating , physics , electronic engineering , engineering
Holographic methods are most widely known as techniques for producing three dimensional pictures. However, they can also be used to investigate photochemical and photophysical processes of molecules. Holographic gratings produced by cw and pulsed laser sources have been employed successfully in these investigations during the last decade. In this paper a newly developed holographic grating technique, called phasemodulated holography (PMH), is presented. With this technique for the first time a separated and simultaneous monitoring of the amplitude and phase gratings including the absolute signs of these contributions is possible. Thus, hologram formation mechanisms and the underlying photochemistry can be studied in great detail. This feature and an up to eight orders of magnitude improvement of detection sensitivity (quantum limited detection sensitivity) over conventional techniques makes PMH an ideal tool for the investigation of new materials for holographic optical information storage. This will be demonstrated for several examples i.e. photoactive molecules incorporated in polymer systems.