Materials research for holographic recording. Report number 2: Bleaching methods for photographically recorded holograms

This report describes tests and evaluations of chemical bleaches used to convert amplitude holograms to phase holograms. Diffraction efficiencies and noise characteristics of holograms prepared with six different bleaching procedures are reported. Formulations of the six different bleaches and procedures for their use are described. The report concludes that a reversal bleach used in combination with 649F plates gave the best combination of diffraction efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio. The report also concludes that bleached silver halide recording materials can be applied to areas where single images are involved, but that limited dynamic range will preclude their use as a medium for storing multiple continuous tone images.