A volume holographic sol-gel material with large enhancement of dynamic range by incorporation of high refractive index species

Abstract

Improved performance of volume holographic sol-gel materials-refractive index modulations in the 10^2 range, diffraction efficiencies near 100 %, and low levels of noise scattering-are reported that arise from the incorporation of Zr-based high refractive index species capable of diffusing from dark to bright fringes of the interference pattern (see figure).