Holographic diffraction in photoanisotropic organic materials

A theoretical study is presented that describes the recording and the readout of transmission volume holograms in dynamic photoanisotropic organic materials. The stationary coupled differential equations of two recording beams that are polarized perpendicular to the plane of incidence are derived and solved analytically for the beam intensities and the phase changes. These equations self-consistently satisfy the recording dynamics of the hologram formation including the effects of fringe curvature and energy transfer. Analytic formulas for the diffraction efficiency are obtained from the readout equations under the assumption of a Bragg-matched weak probe beam of arbitrary polarization and in the small fringe curvature regime. Previously measured parameters of Methyl Orange–polyvinyl alcohol holograms indicate that the optimal hologram thickness is approximately 0.2 mm and predict the decrease of diffraction efficiency with an increase of beam ratio.