Theoretical and experimental studies of hologram multiplexing that uses a random wave front generated by photorefractive beam fanning

A hologram multiplexing technique-that uses random wave fronts generated by photorefractive beam fanning is investigated. A storage photorefractive crystal generates various random wave fronts to be used as reference beams without the external diffusers such as ground glass and multimode optical fiber that are generally employed. We experimentally demonstrate hologram multiplexing with six images and show that the stored holograms can be selectively retrieved. We also simulate photorefractive beam fanning inside a BaTiO3 crystal, in particular regarding the correlation properties of the fanning beams for the first time to our knowledge, and reveal the conditions of incidence of an object beam and a reference beam required for suppressing image degradation, implementing low-cross-talk retrieval, and producing a large number of stored holograms.     

Characteristics of optical recording on thin films of quaternary glasses Cu-As-Se-I

The characteristics of optical recording and changes in the hologram parameters of the amorphous quaternary system Cu-As-Se-I are described. The dependence of the relative contrast of recording on the exposure and transparency properties of the film before and after erasure is the basis for discussion of these processes. Investigation into the dependence of diffraction efficiency of the holograms indicates that these quantities are determined by the thin film composition.     

Photorefractive trapping and the correlation between recording and erasure dynamics in a polymer composite

Abstract

The fast time constants of holographic contrast growth and erasure for various photorefractive polymer composites were measured under a wide range of experimental conditions. Either of two sensitizers, 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone (TNF) or (2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenylidene)malonodinitrile (TNFDM), were used in a degenerate four-wave mixing experiment under varying conditions of field, wavelength and intensity. Collected together, the fast growth and erasure time constants were found to be correlated with a coefficient of 0.96. From this correlation we conclude that the charge generation process during holographic recording and the optical de-trapping process during hologram erasure are indistinguishable. Hence in accordance with the photorefractive crystal model, hole recombination with the sensitizer anions forms the primary charge trapping mechanism in the majority of photorefractive polymer composites.     

Reconfigurable array interconnection by photorefractive correlation

Electronic parallel processors might communicate more effectively by photons sent through glass or air than by electrons sent through wires, but quickly routing thousands of optical signals remains a problem. Previous photorefractive interconnection networks have dedicated one hologram to each input channel. Instead, we compute a control image from the entire network configuration and store it as a single color-keyedvolume hologram. This lets us use hologram superposition for fast switchingbetween multiple prestored patterns. During operation, data signals from the input modulator array, powered by a shared wavelength-tunable laser, are correlated optically with one color-matched connection hologram to produce the output array. This decouples both data rate and interconnect switching speeds from the slow photorefractive response. We can display arbitrary connection weights using simple binary-phase spatial light modulators and gracefully accommodate modulator limitations by trading off control-image bandwidth for output signal-to-noise ratio. Experimental results with color-multiplexed reflection holograms in z-cut LiNbO(3) confirmed our theoretical predictions that this approach works best for densely connected networks with high fan-in to each output. We obtained an average aggregate signal-to-noise ratio of more than 200:1 for 1024 inputs and outputs.     

Exposure-induced high-pass filtering of a volume by means of an absorption hologram recording technique

High-pass filtering effects have long been noted during recording of Fourier-type holograms on a saturable medium [Collier et al., Optical Holography (Academic, New York, 1971), p. 405]. The origin of the filtering effect lies in recording an absorption hologram such that the diffraction efficiency of strong spatial frequencies is significantly reduced by the saturable nature of the film. A simple optical configuration is used to take advantage of this effect in order to reduce the depth-of-focus noise associated with particle holography. The origin of the noise is clutter produced by a field of out-of-focus particles in which the particle under scrutiny exists [Reynolds et al., The New Physical Optics Notebook: Tutorials in Fourier Optics(Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Belling-ham, Washington, 1989), p. 2054. A theoretical basis for the filtering is presented. Experimental results are shown.     

Holographic memory with localized recording

We experimentally demonstrate and characterize a memory module that features selective page erasure and readout persistence using the localized recording method in doubly doped LiNbO(3). Pages of information can be selectively erased without partially erasing the whole memory. Data pages can be written over erased pages multiple times. Information is read millions of times before refreshing is required. We quantify the optical quality of the holograms by measuring their signal-to-noise ratio for a memory size up to 100 holograms. A compact phase-conjugate readout architecture is also presented and experimentally demonstrated.     

Radio-frequency matched filtering by photorefractive optical holography

Matched filtering of megahertz-bandwidth signals by use of holograms recorded in a photorefractive crystal is demonstrated. Holographic recording of rapidly varying signals has heretofore been hampered by the relatively slow response of photorefractive crystals. For the first time, to our knowledge, synchronization between waveforms and short optical sampling pulses is used with acousto-optic electrical-to-optical conversion to build up static holograms of rf waveforms in a SBN crystal. Readout with a continuous input signal yields a time-resolved correlation with stored waveforms.     

Digital recording and reconstruction of holograms in hologram interferometry and shearography

The fundamentals of digital recording and mathematical reconstruction of Fresnel holograms are described. The object is recorded in two different states, and the holograms are stored electronically with a charge-coupled-device detector. In the process of reconstruction the digitally sampled holograms are applied to the different coherent optical methods as hologram interferometry and shearography. If the holograms are superimposed and reconstructed jointly, a holographic interferogram results. If a shearing is introduced in the reconstruction process, a shearogram results. This means that the evaluation technique, e.g., hologram interferometry or shearography, can be influenced by numerical methods.     

Moiré pattern encoded extended fractional Fourier transform security hologram

This paper describes a simple method for making extended fractional Fourier transform (EFRT) based Moiré pattern encoded security holograms. These security holograms contain multifold concealed and encoded anticounterfeit security features that can only be read through a key hologram and periodic patterns in the final reading process. The encoded features in these holograms are concealed and unknown to the counterfeiter. These features are encoded separately for each individual recording in angularly multiplexed extended fractional Fourier transform hologram (EFRTH). The principle of recording and reconstruction of the proposed security hologram along with experimental results are presented.     

Size measurement of bubbles in a cavitation tunnel by digital in-line holography

Digital in-line holography (DIH) with a divergent beam is used to measure size and concentration of cavitation bubbles (6-100 μm) in hydrodynamic facilities. A sampling probe is directly inserted in the cavitation tunnel, and the holograms of the bubbles are recorded through a transparent test section specially designed for DIH measurements. The recording beam coming from a fiber-coupled laser diode illuminates the sample volume, and holograms are recorded by a CMOS camera. From each hologram, the sampling volume can be reconstructed slice by slice by applying a wavelet-based reconstruction method. Because of the geometry of the recording beam, a magnification ratio must be introduced for recovering the 3D location and size of each bubble. The method used for processing holograms recorded in such a configuration is presented. Then, statistical results obtained from 5000 holograms recorded under different pressures in the cavitation tunnel are compared and discussed.     

Photorefractive and Photovoltaic Effects in Doped LiNbO 3

Photo-induced currents and voltages determine the photorefractive process in doped LiNbO 3, which can be utilized for the reversible storage of thick phase holograms. Optical recording and erasure are studied in the spectral region between 1·5 and 4 eV (lambda; = 0·8 ? 0·3 μm). The influence of various transition metal dopants, chemical treatments, temperature and external electric fields on the storage properties is investigated. The results yield consequences for write-read-erase applications and for read-only storage of stacked phase holograms.     

A Contribution to Hologram Imagery

A very simple method for evaluating hologram imagery in a general holographic arrangement with spherical or plane reference and reconstruction waves is proposed. For the hologram imagery approaching aberration-free case the relations providing new possibilities are introduced. The study is not restricted to plane holograms only but one can also study the imaging of objects reconstructed from volume holograms.     

Synthetic aperture superresolution with multiple off-axis holograms

An optical setup to achieve superresolution in microscopy using holographic recording is presented. The technique is based on off-axis illumination of the object and a simple optical image processing stage after the imaging system for the interferometric recording process. The superresolution effect can be obtained either in one step by combining a spatial multiplexing process and an incoherent addition of different holograms or it can be implemented sequentially. Each hologram holds the information of each different frequency bandpass of the object spectrum. We have optically implemented the approach for a low-numerical-aperture commercial microscope objective. The system is simple and robust because the holographic interferometric recording setup is done after the imaging lens.     

Optical correlation of spatial-frequency-shifted images in a photorefractive BSO correlator

The optical cross correlation of an image with another image that was spatial-frequency shifted in one dimension was demonstrated in a photorefractive VanderLugt correlator. The first image was stored as a Fourier-transform hologram in a photorefractive Bi12SiO20 crystal (BSO) and was successively correlated with different spatial-frequency-shifted versions of a second image. We implemented the spatial-frequency shift by rotating a galvanometer mirror in an image plane, causing the Fourier transform to be shifted laterally in the BSO. We verified that the resulting operation in the BSO was an accurate complex multiplication of the shifted and the stored Fourier transforms. As many as 20 successive readouts were conducted without measurable erasure of the stored hologram. The dynamic range, saturation behavior, and other performance parameters were measured and are discussed.     

Nondestructive readout of a photorefractive hologram by phase-conjugate copying in a one-crystal configuration

We propose a novel phase-conjugate copying method for nondestructive readout of a volatile photorefractive hologram. In the one-crystal configuration, two holographic memories and a mutually pumped phase conjugator (MPPC) are formed within a single photorefractive crystal, instead of using multiple crystals. Two memories share the same hologram and complement each other in refreshing the hologram. A MPPC suppresses fanning noise and automatically aligns the wavefront of the reference and readout beams. We found the optimum configuration to achieve nondestructive readout from calculations and geometric consideration. In the experiments with a BaTiO(3) crystal, a continuous readout of 20 times longer than the recording time was achieved.     

Three-dimensional vector holograms in anisotropic photoreactive liquid-crystal composites

In this paper, we describe the principle of the three-dimensional vector holograms formed in anisotropic recording medium. The polarization states of the interference light are three-dimensionally modulated due to both the polarization interference and optical anisotropy in the recording medium. The electric field of the polarized light reorients the director and forms the three-dimensional vector hologram in anisotropic photoreactive liquid-crystal composites. The theoretical consideration reveals the formation mechanism and optical characteristics of the resultant three-dimensional vector holograms.     

Frequency and phase swept holograms in spectral hole-burning materials

A new hologram type in spectral hole-burning systems is presented. During exposure, the frequency of narrow-band laser light is swept over a spectral range that corresponds to a few homogeneous linewidths of the spectrally selective recording material. Simultaneously the phase of the hologram is adjusted as a function of frequency-the phase sweep function. Because of the phase-reconstructing properties of holography, this recording technique programs the sample as a spectral amplitude and phase filter. We call this hologram type frequency and phase swept (FPS) holograms. Their properties and applications are summarized, and a straightforward theory is presented that describes all the diffraction phenomena observed to date. Thin FPS holograms show strongly asymmetric diffraction into conjugated diffraction orders, which is an unusual behavior for thin transmission holograms. Investigations demonstrate the advantages of FPS holograms with respect to conventional cw recording techniques in freq ncymultiplexed data storage. By choosing appropriate phase sweep functions, various features of holographic data storage can be optimized. Examples for cross-talk reduction, highest diffraction efficiency, and maximal readout stability are demonstrated. The properties of these FPS hologram types are deduced from theoretical considerations and confirmed by experiments.     

Two methods of reducing the dynamic range of a holographic filter

Two methods of reducing the dynamic range of the transmittance of computer-generated interconnection holograms are presented and compared. The holograms are used in an optical implementation of an associative memory to connect the input and the output planes but are representative of more generalN(4) interconnection holograms. Because the holograms play a double correlation-reconstruction role, the standard spectrum-smoothing techniques (e.g., random phase) cannot be applied. We show, in computer simulations and optical experiments, that by using deterministic phase functions that can be realized in the optical system (defocusing the hologram or controlling the phases of the diffraction spots of a Dammann grating used in the system input) the hologram dynamic range can be lowered, reducing the errors during the hologram binarization and increasing the hologram's diffraction efficiency.     

Method of hologram multiplexing by use of a fiber bundle with rotary movement

A simple method of rotating an optical fiber bundle is presented to apply the random-pattern referencing scheme to hologram multiplexing. In the theoretical study, a dependence of the diffraction efficiency on the number of spatial frequencies in the reference pattern is estimated with the Bragg diffraction theory. In the experiment, hologram multiplexing is performed in which 30 holograms are recorded in a LiNbO3 crystal and are read out by rotating a fiber bundle. The result shows that this simple approach enables us to perform the hologram multiplexing and also contributes to the building of a compact optical setup.     

Holographic optical elements recorded in silver halide sensitized gelatin emulsions. Part I. Transmission holographic optical elements

Silver halide sensitized gelatin (SHSG) holograms are similar to holograms recorded in dichromated gelatin (DCG), the main recording material for holographic optical elements (HOE's). The drawback of DCG is its low sensitivity and limited spectral response. Silver halide materials can be processed in such a way that the final hologram will have properties like a DCG hologram. Recently this technique has become more interesting since the introduction of new ultra-high-resolution silver halide emulsions. An optimized processing technique for transmission HOE's recorded in these materials is introduced. Diffraction efficiencies over 90% can be obtained for transmissive diffraction gratings. Understanding the importance of the selective hardening process has made it possible to obtain results similar to conventional DCG processing. The main advantage of the SHSG process is that high-sensitivity recording can be performed with laser wavelengths anywhere within the visible spectrum. This simplifies the manufacturing of high-quality, large-format HOE's.