High-density rewritable holographic recording onto photochromic composite media

Currently organic photochromic compounds have been considered as materials of growing importance for use in optical memory applications. They have been characterized by a set of unique characteristics, and could be easily fabricated in different formats and at low-cost. We studied a new class of photochromic composites consisting of carbazole-contained polymeric hosts with spiropyran-substituted dyes. These composites have been synthesized and experimentally characterized as holographic material for direct high-resolution holographic recording in whole visible spectra. We concluded some general principles of photochromic media design for achievement of high sensitivity and diffraction efficiency while hologram records.