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The Journal of Physical Chemistry A

Multidimensional Holography by Persistent Spectral Hole Burning

Alois Renn, Urs P. Wild, Aleksander K. Rebane

Published Mar 13, 2002• 57 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Persistent spectral hole burning (PSHB) in organic molecules doped in a polymer matrix at low temperatures allows optical recording of information in the dimensions of frequency and time, as well as in space and externally applied electric field. We use this special property to demonstrate new types of holograms, which extend conventional spatial-domain optical data storage into the new dimensions. Basic aspects of recording and playback of holograms by persistent spectral hole burning, including relation between frequency- and time-domain response function, is discussed. This paper is elucidating inherent relations between the time- and frequency-domain versions of PSHB holography. We show that by multiplexing holograms in the frequency dimension, we can store a large number (up to 12 000) of image holograms using a single spectral hole burning sample. In the time domain, we show storage and reproduction of ultrashort time-space images on the scale of 10 -12 −10 -13 s. Experiments demonstrating unusual hologram properties, such as causality-related asymmetry of diffraction, inversion of time coordinate, and ultrafast processing, are presented.

DOI
10.1021/jp0138025

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Persistent spectral hole burning (PHSB) provides a unique possibility of controlling, by means of illumination with high spectral resolution, optical properties, the coefficient of absorption and the index of refraction in the impurity absorption band of doped solid materials. New versions of holography are the most successful application of PSHB data storage and processing. It utilizes both distributed storage and parallel processing and demonstrates the advantages and potentials of PSHB in this field. An interesting property of time and space-domain holograms occurs in connection with external electric fields: the pseudo-Stark splitting of narrow spectral holes due to the linear Stark effect in an external electric field manifests itself as an additional modulation of holographically stored signals in the time domain. The idea of PSHB time- and space-domain holography is simple. When a PSHB sample is illuminated by a pulse of light, the intensity (more precisely, the doses of illumination), in dependence of the frequency, is stored in the hole profile.

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Time-and-space-domain holography [1,2] can be regarded as an extension of a conventional holographic process, where, in addition to the spatial image, the hologram plays back the time dependence of an event. The play-back of events is possible because we are using highly frequency-selective inhomogeneously broadened absorbers as recording material. This technique has a variety of potential applications in optical data storage and processing. In the present paper we consider the basic physical principle of time-and-space-domain storage in frequency-selective materials which exploit the effect of spectral hole burning [3]. In particular we will show that organic dye-doped spectral hole burning materials allow recording and playback of pi- co- and femtosecond time-scale events.

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Persistent spectral hole burning [1] in conjunction with holography (PSHB) opens new prospects for high density optical information storage and processing. In the holographic approach, hole burning is carried out with two -crossed coherent laser beams which bleach out a narrow frequency domain hole in an inhomogeneously broadened absorption band recording, at the same time, a spatial holographic fringe pattern. During read out of the hologram diffraction from this spatial fringe pattern occurs, and a holographic image is reconstructed, reflecting the changes of the absorption coefficient and the refractive index introduced by the spectral hole [2].

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It is acknowledged that inhomogeneous absorption bands consisting of narrow homogeneous zero-phonon lines (ZPL) can be used for the purpose of optical data storage in the frequency dimension /1/. Persistent spectral hole-burning (PSHB) /2,3/ has made it feasible to preserve the recorded frequency domain information for a practically unlimited period of time. Via PSHB the inhomogeneous distribution function of the resonance frequencies of the impurity zero-phonon lines can be altered in an almost arbitrary fashion. This, in turn, makes it possible to manipulate the absorption coefficient and correlated to it index of refraction of the optical storage media. On this basis it has been proposed to use PSHB for the shaping of laser pulses via Fourier synthesis /4/. Holographic storage of time domain optical signals in PSHB media was proposed by Mossberg /5/. In the first experiments on the PSHB time domain holography the reproduction of various temporal shapes of picosecond pulses was demonstrated in dye doped polymers cooled to liquid helium temperature /6/. Earlier Zuikov et al. observed correlation between the temporal shapes of nanosecond excitation laser pulses and photon echo signals /7/. Since that time a variety of experiments on time domain holography in different resonant media have been reported (see /8/ and references therein).

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The use of holography is attractive for optical data storage due to its poten­tial for implementing page oriented data storage systems. However, multiplexed recording using Bragg selective materials has not provided a large enough stor­age capability to justify the expense of these systems. Persistent spectral hole burning holography allows multiplexed recording using much smaller wavelength separations between the holograms, and hence dramatically increases the storage capacity possible in holographic memory systems [1]. A comparison between the wavelength selectivity obtained for transmission gratings recorded using hole burning in a dye doped polymer film versus Bragg selectivity in a 1 cm thick iron-doped lithium niobate crystal is shown in Fig. (1).

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Persistent spectral hole burning (PSHB) in organic molecules doped in a polymer matrix at low temperatures allows optical recording of information in the dimensions of frequency and time, as well as in space and externally applied electric field. We use this special property to demonstrate new types of holograms, which extend conventional spatial-domain optical data storage into the new dimensions. Basic aspects of recording and playback of holograms by persistent spectral hole burning, including relation between frequency- and time-domain response function, is discussed. This paper is elucidating inherent relations between the time- and frequency-domain versions of PSHB holography. We show that by multiplexing holograms in the frequency dimension, we can store a large number (up to 12 000) of image holograms using a single spectral hole burning sample. In the time domain, we show storage and reproduction of ultrashort time-space images on the scale of 10 -12 −10 -13 s. Experiments demonstrating unusual hologram properties, such as causality-related asymmetry of diffraction, inversion of time coordinate, and ultrafast processing, are presented.
Persistent spectral hole burning (PHSB) provides a unique possibility of controlling, by means of illumination with high spectral resolution, optical properties, the coefficient of absorption and the index of refraction in the impurity absorption band of doped solid materials. New versions of holography are the most successful application of PSHB data storage and processing. It utilizes both distributed storage and parallel processing and demonstrates the advantages and potentials of PSHB in this field. An interesting property of time and space-domain holograms occurs in connection with external electric fields: the pseudo-Stark splitting of narrow spectral holes due to the linear Stark effect in an external electric field manifests itself as an additional modulation of holographically stored signals in the time domain. The idea of PSHB time- and space-domain holography is simple. When a PSHB sample is illuminated by a pulse of light, the intensity (more precisely, the doses of illumination), in dependence of the frequency, is stored in the hole profile.
Time-and-space-domain holography [1,2] can be regarded as an extension of a conventional holographic process, where, in addition to the spatial image, the hologram plays back the time dependence of an event. The play-back of events is possible because we are using highly frequency-selective inhomogeneously broadened absorbers as recording material. This technique has a variety of potential applications in optical data storage and processing. In the present paper we consider the basic physical principle of time-and-space-domain storage in frequency-selective materials which exploit the effect of spectral hole burning [3]. In particular we will show that organic dye-doped spectral hole burning materials allow recording and playback of pi- co- and femtosecond time-scale events.
Persistent spectral hole burning [1] in conjunction with holography (PSHB) opens new prospects for high density optical information storage and processing. In the holographic approach, hole burning is carried out with two -crossed coherent laser beams which bleach out a narrow frequency domain hole in an inhomogeneously broadened absorption band recording, at the same time, a spatial holographic fringe pattern. During read out of the hologram diffraction from this spatial fringe pattern occurs, and a holographic image is reconstructed, reflecting the changes of the absorption coefficient and the refractive index introduced by the spectral hole [2].
It is acknowledged that inhomogeneous absorption bands consisting of narrow homogeneous zero-phonon lines (ZPL) can be used for the purpose of optical data storage in the frequency dimension /1/. Persistent spectral hole-burning (PSHB) /2,3/ has made it feasible to preserve the recorded frequency domain information for a practically unlimited period of time. Via PSHB the inhomogeneous distribution function of the resonance frequencies of the impurity zero-phonon lines can be altered in an almost arbitrary fashion. This, in turn, makes it possible to manipulate the absorption coefficient and correlated to it index of refraction of the optical storage media. On this basis it has been proposed to use PSHB for the shaping of laser pulses via Fourier synthesis /4/. Holographic storage of time domain optical signals in PSHB media was proposed by Mossberg /5/. In the first experiments on the PSHB time domain holography the reproduction of various temporal shapes of picosecond pulses was demonstrated in dye doped polymers cooled to liquid helium temperature /6/. Earlier Zuikov et al. observed correlation between the temporal shapes of nanosecond excitation laser pulses and photon echo signals /7/. Since that time a variety of experiments on time domain holography in different resonant media have been reported (see /8/ and references therein).
In addition to its importance for the optical spectroscopy of solids, photochemical spectral hole burning (PSHB) has attracted great interest due to its potential use in high density optical data storage [1]. By encoding information as a function of frequency an enormous increase in storage is possible compared to conventional optical storage materials. The most optimistic estimates predict an increase given by the ratio of the inhomogeneous linewidth to the homogeneous linewidth of the optical transition responsible for hole burning. Until now, however, there have been relatively few investigations of the practical limitations to storing a large number of spectral holes [2,3]. We describe here a recent experiment in which 2000 grayscale images were successfully recorded as holograms in the PSHB material chlorin in polyvinylbutyral. In holographic spectral hole burning the relative phase of the interfering light waves used to prepare the hologram has a strong influence on diffraction properties and, hence, on crosstalk between adjacent holograms [4]. By controlling the phase and frequency during burning in a novel manner, we have minimized crosstalk between the stored images.
The use of holography is attractive for optical data storage due to its poten­tial for implementing page oriented data storage systems. However, multiplexed recording using Bragg selective materials has not provided a large enough stor­age capability to justify the expense of these systems. Persistent spectral hole burning holography allows multiplexed recording using much smaller wavelength separations between the holograms, and hence dramatically increases the storage capacity possible in holographic memory systems [1]. A comparison between the wavelength selectivity obtained for transmission gratings recorded using hole burning in a dye doped polymer film versus Bragg selectivity in a 1 cm thick iron-doped lithium niobate crystal is shown in Fig. (1).