Send a hologram [photorefractive materials]

As computers and the Internet become faster and faster, more and more information is transmitted, received, processed, and stored everyday. The demand for high-speed, large-capacity information systems is pushing scientists and engineers to explore all possible approaches, including electrical and optical means. Photorefractive materials and devices are becoming viable alternatives for information systems. Photorefractive materials, including traditional electrooptic photorefractive crystals as well as photopolymers and photosensitive glasses, have demonstrated their potential in information systems. In this article we describe several applications of various photorefractive materials in information storage, processing, and communication systems. Specifically, we briefly discuss the applications of the traditional electrooptic photorefractive crystals and photopolymers in volume holographic data storage (VHDS) and information processing. Then, we discuss our recent works on the applications of photopolymers, holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystals (H-PDLC), and photosensitive glasses in photonic devices for optical fiber communications.