Properties of compositional volume grating formation with photoinitiated cationic-ring-opening polymerization

We investigated compositional volume grating formation in the Polaroid medium that utilizes the cationic-ring-opening photoinitiated polymerization process, and compared our conclusions with the current physical model describing polymer holographic recording. We identified the effects of diffusion and polymerization during illumination, as well as significant postexposure grating development. Holographic recording in this medium allows for final strong gratings with high recording sensitivity (S approximately 2 cm/mJ), that were not limited at the higher recording intensities (I less than or equal to 250 mW/cm2) corresponding to photon (exposure) limited recording. The results of the present analysis allow for more comprehensive physical description of grating formation in the photoinitiated CROP process, and evaluation of the polymer recording process in a nonvolatile holographic storage system.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.