Photopolymers for holographic recording. III. Time modulated illumination and thermal post-effect

TLDR: In this paper, the role played by thermal post-effects in the holographic recording process on photopolymerizable materials was revealed and clarified and it was confirmed that the key phenomenon which controls the building up of the hologram image in such systems is the balance between the photochemically initiated polymerization and the diffusion of unreacted species from the dark to the bright regions of the record.

Abstract: For pt.II see ibid., vol.1, no.5, p.251-68 (1992). The use of a time-modulated laser source allows the role played by thermal post-effects in the holographic recording process on photopolymerizable materials to be revealed and clarified. It is confirmed that the key phenomenon which controls the building up of the holographic image in such systems is the balance between the photochemically initiated polymerization and the diffusion of unreacted species from the dark to the bright regions of the record. From a practical viewpoint, the use of intermittent or pulsed laser writing sources proves to be very effective in achieving a fast and extensive polymerization of the monomers used in the photosensitive formulation a property which goes along with a good stability of the records.