Abstract: Dynamic range enhancing dopants for photopolymeric media are described. Also described are optical articles using these dopants and methods for making such optical articles.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium includes a recording layer that absorbs recording light in accordance with its wavelength, the recording light being condensed for information recording, and increases the temperature in the vicinity of a focus so as to form a recording mark and that has properties of increasing a light absorption amount with respect to the wavelength of the recording light by heating performed at a temperature of 120° C. or more.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of generating a laser marking in a security document by means of at least one laser beam, the security document having at least one laser-markable layer and also at least one reflecting layer which overlaps at least partly with the at least one laser-markable layer and has opaque regions. The at least one reflecting layer has at least one transparent region and, at least visually, is not significantly altered by the laser treatment of the laser-markable layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a volume phase hologram recording material of high sensitivity, high contrast, and excellent record retention properties and also disclosed is a volume phase hologram recording medium using the said material. The volume phase hologram recording material mainly contains a three-dimensional crosslinked polymer matrix, a radically polymerizable monomer, and a photoradical polymerization initiator. The three-dimensional crosslinked polymer matrix is formed from a matrix-forming compound having two photoradically polymerizable unsaturated groups and two non-photoradically polymerizable hydroxyl groups represented by the following general formula (1) and another matrix-forming compound having no photoradically polymerizable group.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photo-curable transfer sheet by which an optical information recording medium (e.g., DVD) having small thickness and high capacity can be advantageously prepared, and which is improved in transferring property of pits and the like and curing property. The photo-curable transfer sheet has a photo-curable transfer layer comprising a photo-curable composition deformable by application of pressure, wherein the photo-curable composition comprises a polymer having a glass transition temperature of not less than 80° C. and a reactive diluent having a photopolymerizable functional group. The invention also provides a process for the preparation of an optical information recording medium using the sheet, and the optical information recording medium.

Abstract: A production method is provided by which a copied volume hologram from a multi-layer master is later customized by utilization of the color tuning properties of the light-curable materials used for the application onto personal documents. These holographic individual data, such as a passport photo, are also separately detectable, without the holographic elements copied from the master, that are visible under other viewing angles, impairing the visibility of the individual data. The volume hologram overlay obtained by this method is applied on personal and valuable documents to increase protection against forgery, possesses superimposed optically variable items of information that are separately visible under different viewing angles and give a defined color change under different view angles, wherein at least one of these items of optical information represents individual personal data, in particular a passport photograph.

Abstract: At least one hollow zone is formed in a stack of at least one upper layer and one lower layer. The upper layer is patterned to form at least a first hollow region passing through said upper layer. The first hollow region is extended by a second hollow region formed in the lower layer by etching through an etching mask formed on the patterned upper layer. The etching mask is formed by a resin layer, positively photosensitive to an optic radiation of a predetermined wavelength, exposed to the said optic radiation through the stack and developed. The lower and upper layers of the stack are respectively transparent and opaque to said predetermined wavelength so that the patterned upper layer acts as exposure mask for the resin layer.

Abstract: A system and method for producing a Bragg grating. A system and a method for apodization of gratings. The system and method for producing a grating include splitting a beam and reflecting one split beam an odd number of times and the other an even number of times before the two are allowed to interfere within a photosensitive target. When the original beam is scanned in predetermined directions, the split beams scan the target while interfering within the target. The original beam is scanned such that an intersection point of the reflected split beams moves along a bisector of the two split beams. In the system and method for apodizing, scanning of the interfering beams along a length of the target may be controlled to yield a substantially uniform average refractive index for the apodized grating that is being recorded in the photosensitive target medium.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a write-once type information storage medium comprises an organic dye based recording material having sensitivity at a wavelength of 405 nm and at a recording wavelength in the range of 600 nm to 700 nm, wherein, when absorbance of a maximum absorption wavelength in the vicinity of 405 nm is defined as 1, the absorbance is 5% or more at any wavelength in the range of 600 nm to 700 nm.

Abstract: There is provided volume holographic data recording media having a recording layer which is capable of recording interference fringes generated by interference of light having excellent coherence as fringes having different refractive indexes and undergoes holographic data recording by an amount of spatial shift distance of not more than 3 ?m which is smaller than that of conventional media.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a substrate having features that define track regions, an optical recording layer disposed on the substrate, and a light-transmitting layer disposed on the optical recording layer. The optical recording layer has a composition of (Sb2Se3)wTexOyPdz, where w, x, y, and z each represent a molar percent and satisfy 10 (mol %)?w?60 (mol %), 0 (mol %)<x?60 (mol %), 30 (mol %)?y?60 (mol %), 10 (mol %)?z?30 (mol %), and w+x+y+z=100.

Abstract: A sensor for the detection of an analyte, comprising a holographic element comprising a medium and a hologram disposed throughout the volume of the medium, wherein an optical characteristic of the hologram changes as a result of a variation of a physical property occurring throughout the volume of the medium, wherein the medium is obtainable by formation in situ in the presence of a pore-forming agent, wherein the agent is not present in the sensor or does not react with the analyte and the sensor.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage medium comprises a transparent resin substrate on which a groove is formed, a recording layer formed on the groove on the transparent resin substrate, the recording layer using an organic dye material and recording information with a light beam of 620 nm or less in wavelength, a reflection layer formed on the recording layer, and a prevention layer formed between the recording layer and the reflection layer, the prevention layer preventing degradation of characteristics of the reflection layer.

Abstract: An optical medium is provided. The optical medium comprises: a diffusion-controlling matrix framework; at least one photoactive monomer attached to the diffusion-controlling matrix framework in a first state of the optical medium, wherein the at least one photoactive monomer is released from the diffusion-controlling matrix framework by photo cleavage, producing a second state of the optical medium, in which diffusion of the photoactive monomer through the optical medium is possible; and wherein the at least one photoactive monomer is then polymerized or reattached to the diffusion-controlling matrix, giving a third state of the optical medium, when exposed to photo-polymerizing light.

Abstract: The invention provides a hologram in which a visually unidentifiable microtext or other micropattern of the order of 10 ?m is recorded, and a process for the fabrication of the same. A volume hologram recording material 2 is located on the side of a reflection type volume hologram master 1 onto which copying illumination light 11 is incident, and the copying illumination light 11 incident onto the recording material 2 and light 12 diffracted through the master 1 interfere together in the volume hologram recording material 2 thereby copying the reflection type volume hologram master.

Abstract: A metal identification platelet equipped with an identification code, while the identification code comprises a hologram. A method of producing the identification platelet with the identification code, including the following steps: A shield from an electro-insulation material is formed on a shim with a holographic motif. Then, the shim is galvanized in the places not covered by the shield from the electro-insulation material. And the completed metal identification platelets are removed from the shim.

Abstract: An organic-inorganic hybrid material comprising (a) at least one soluble organic polymer and (b) at least one mono- or polynuclear metal complex having at least one ligand which comprises at least one photochemically and/or thermally polymerizable functional group. Also disclosed is an optical component which is made by using the hybrid material.

Abstract: A photosensitized composite material and a material, an element, a device, and the like, which employ the photosensitized composite material, are provided. In the photosensitized composite material, multiphoton absorption compounds are highly sensitized for practical use by utilizing an enhanced plasmon field. The photosensitized composite material has a structure where the multiphoton absorption compounds are linked to the surface of a fine metal particle through linking groups. The fine metal particle generates an enhanced surface plasmon field in resonance with a multiphoton excitation wavelength. The multiphoton absorption compounds have a molecular structure enabling multiphoton absorption.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fluorine-containing volume holographic data recording material making it unnecessary to provide a step of eliminating a specific solvent even in the case of a thick film, and having high hologram performance and good dynamic range. There is provided a composition comprising a base polymer (a), a liquid monomer (b) and a photo-initiator (c), wherein the base polymer (a) is an amorphous polymer comprising a fluorine-containing monomer as a structural unit and having a fluorine content of 26 to 80% by mass, the liquid monomer (b) comprises at least one liquid monomer (b1) initiating polymerization by means of activated species generated from the photo-initiator (c), the photo-initiator (c) is a compound causing the liquid monomer (b1) to initiate polymerization by exposure to light having excellent coherence and, and a refractive index of the liquid monomer (b) is higher than an average refractive index of a mixture of the base polymer (a) and the photo-initiator (c).

Abstract: An optical recording material and methods of making such material is provided. The material comprises of a dewar benzene monomer, with at least two cross-linkable groups, a sensitizer, a cross-linker, and an initiator. The material does not require a binder or a co-sensitizer. The material can be fabricated by an exceedingly easy technique that offers high photosensitivity, high diffraction efficiency, millimeter thickness, and high dynamic range.