N. Peyghambarian, K. Meerholz, B. Volodin, Sandalphon, and B. Kippelen, Optical Sciences Center, and A. Padias and H. Hall, Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson,
Photorefractive (PR) polymers are new materials1-4 with many potential photonic applications, including dynamic holographic storage and image processing. They offer structural flexibility, ease of processing, a superior figure of merit compared with commonly used inorganic crystals, and low cost. We have developed a photorefractive polymer composite with significantly enhanced diffraction efficiency and two-beam-coupling gain.5 For the first time, near complete diffraction of an incident beam can be observed in a 105-μm thin photorefractive polymer film using a low-power laser diode. The material also exhibits a net two-beam coupling gain of more than 200 cm-1.
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