Holographic volume gratings in a glass-like polymer material

Abstract

We demonstrate the possibility to write a volume holographic grating with a diffraction efficiency of almost 100% and a grating period >0.3/spl mu/m in a novel glass-like polymeric material based on PMMA. It is succeeded due to the thermal amplification of the grating during the writing process with a following fixation by an incoherent optical illumination. The grating is stable for room temperature. The different processes of generation, amplification, and fixation are discussed both for symmetrical and slanted holographic gratings.