Optical Information Recording in Films of Photoinduced Birefringent Materials and Application to Retardagraphy

Abstract

Optical information of linearly polarized light recorded on a photoinduced birefringent medium was clearly expressed using an optical anisotropy matrix in the circular polarization basis. The theoretical expression was related to the principle of retardagraphy, that is, an optical recording technique for the retardance pattern of an optical anisotropic object. Furthermore, the polarization holographic characteristics were explained by the principle. As a demonstration of optical information recording, a retardance pattern displayed on a parallel aligned liquid-crystal spatial light modulator was recorded on an azobenzene copolymer film, and the retardance pattern was reconstructed by imaging polarimetry. The transmission axis of a polarizer in the imaging polarimetric system was adjusted using a homogeneous pattern.