The design, fabrication and characterization of holographic optical elements

• Main Author: Dobson, C. A.
• Published: University of Cambridge 2008
• Subjects: 535
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.598569

This thesis presents data on the fabrication and characterisation of a series of holograms of reflective optical devices to produce holographic optical elements (HOEs) for use as (bio)sensors to circumvent the viewing angle issues described above. Gratings were recorded in gelatin and pH- and alcohol-sensitive polymers and the maximum viewing angle of each hologram (and its associated wavelength) measured in these systems. Recordings of convex mirrors provided the greatest improvement in both maximum viewing angle and wavelength stability over the planar holograms used previously. Of these, those with a ratio of focal length, f to diameter, d (f/d) ≥ 1 offer the most improvement as they exhibit a large maximum viewing angle with little wavelength shift over this range. Characterisation of analyte-sensitive polymer holograms indicated that the behaviour of an HOE is largely independent of the polymer in which it is recorded and, for a given polymer, the observed behaviour is unchanged irrespective of the element that is recorded in its volume (with the exception of changes to the maximum viewing angle and wavelength shift).