A new organic material for polarization holographic recording—azo-dye methyl-orange, introduced in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)—is fabricated and investigated. It possesses all the good characteristics of the known polarization-sensitive materials—high sensitivity, reversibility, etc.—but excels them substantially in the magnitude of the photoinduced birefringence: δn > 10⁻³. This makes possible the recording of reversible polarization gratings with diffraction efficiency over 30%. Depending on the conditions of production and subsequent mechanical and thermal treatments the layers of methyl orange/PVA may also have intrinsic birefringence. In this paper the results of experimental investigations into the properties of this new material are reported.

© 1984 Optical Society of America

1. Sh. D. Kakichashvili, "Method of Recording Phase Polarization Holograms," Kvantovaya Elektron. Moscow 1, 1435 (1974).
2. H. Blume, L. Bader, and F. Lüty, "Bi-Directional Holographic Information Storage Based on the Optical Reorientation of F_A Centers in KCl:Na," Opt. Commun. 12, 147 (1974).
3. L. Nikolova, T. Todorov, and P. Stefanova, "Polarization Sensibility of the Photodichroic Holographic Recording," Opt. Commun. 24, 44 (1978).
4. N. F. Borelli, J. B. Chodak, and G. B. Hares, "Optically Induced Anisotropy in Photochromic Glasses," J. Appl. Phys. 50, 5978 (1979).
5. J. M. C. Jonathan and M. May, "Anisotropy Induced in a Silver-Silver Chloride Emulsion by Two-Coherent and Perpendicular Light Vibrations," Opt. Commun. 29, 7 (1979).
6. T. A. Shankoff, "Recording Holograms in Luminescent Materials," Appl. Opt. 8, 2282 (1969).
7. T. Todorov, L. Nikolova, N. Tomova, and V. Dragostinova, "Photochromism and Dinamic Holographic Recording in a Rigid Solution of Fluorescein," Opt. Quantum Electron. 13, 209 (1981).
8. T. Todorov, N. Tomova, and L. Nikolova, "High Sensitivity Material with Reversible Photoinduced Anisotropy," Opt. Commun. 47, 123 (1983).
9. N. M. Burikin, N. N. Vsevolovod, T. V. Dyukova, E. Y. Korchemskaya, M. S. Soskin, and V. B. Taranenko, "Photoinduced Anisotropy of Bacteriorhodopsin," Ukr. Fiz. Zh. 28, 1269 (1983).
10. L. Nikolova and T. Todorov, "Diffraction Efficiency and Selectivity of Polarization Holographic Recording," Opt. Acta 31, 529 (1984).
11. A. M. Makushenko, B. S. Neporent and O. V. Stolbova, "Reversible Photodictioism and Photoisomerization of Complex Organic Molecules," Opt. Spektrosk. 31, 741 (1971).
12. C. A. Finch, Ed., Polyvinyl Alcohol, Properties and Applications (Wiley, London, 1973).
13. T. Todorov, L. Nikolova, and N. Tomova, "Polarization Holography. 2: Polarization Holographic Gratings in Photoanisotropic Materials With and Without Birefringence," Appl. Opt. 24, 0000 (1985).

Appl. Opt.

• T. A. Shankoff, "Recording Holograms in Luminescent Materials," Appl. Opt. 8, 2282 (1969).
• T. Todorov, L. Nikolova, and N. Tomova, "Polarization Holography. 2: Polarization Holographic Gratings in Photoanisotropic Materials With and Without Birefringence," Appl. Opt. 24, 0000 (1985).

J. Appl. Phys.

• N. F. Borelli, J. B. Chodak, and G. B. Hares, "Optically Induced Anisotropy in Photochromic Glasses," J. Appl. Phys. 50, 5978 (1979).

Kvantovaya Elektron. Moscow

• Sh. D. Kakichashvili, "Method of Recording Phase Polarization Holograms," Kvantovaya Elektron. Moscow 1, 1435 (1974).

Opt. Acta

• L. Nikolova and T. Todorov, "Diffraction Efficiency and Selectivity of Polarization Holographic Recording," Opt. Acta 31, 529 (1984).

Opt. Commun.

• H. Blume, L. Bader, and F. Lüty, "Bi-Directional Holographic Information Storage Based on the Optical Reorientation of F_A Centers in KCl:Na," Opt. Commun. 12, 147 (1974).
• L. Nikolova, T. Todorov, and P. Stefanova, "Polarization Sensibility of the Photodichroic Holographic Recording," Opt. Commun. 24, 44 (1978).
• J. M. C. Jonathan and M. May, "Anisotropy Induced in a Silver-Silver Chloride Emulsion by Two-Coherent and Perpendicular Light Vibrations," Opt. Commun. 29, 7 (1979).
• T. Todorov, N. Tomova, and L. Nikolova, "High Sensitivity Material with Reversible Photoinduced Anisotropy," Opt. Commun. 47, 123 (1983).

Opt. Quantum Electron.

• T. Todorov, L. Nikolova, N. Tomova, and V. Dragostinova, "Photochromism and Dinamic Holographic Recording in a Rigid Solution of Fluorescein," Opt. Quantum Electron. 13, 209 (1981).

Opt. Spektrosk.

• A. M. Makushenko, B. S. Neporent and O. V. Stolbova, "Reversible Photodictioism and Photoisomerization of Complex Organic Molecules," Opt. Spektrosk. 31, 741 (1971).

Ukr. Fiz. Zh.

• N. M. Burikin, N. N. Vsevolovod, T. V. Dyukova, E. Y. Korchemskaya, M. S. Soskin, and V. B. Taranenko, "Photoinduced Anisotropy of Bacteriorhodopsin," Ukr. Fiz. Zh. 28, 1269 (1983).

Other

• C. A. Finch, Ed., Polyvinyl Alcohol, Properties and Applications (Wiley, London, 1973).

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