Volume holograms as frequency-selective elements

In this paper we investigate the possibility of using thick holograms as diffraction gratings. We compare the well-known parameters of the plane diffraction grating such as dispersion, efficiency, resolution, and others, with those for volume holograms. The calculations for the case of volume holograms are based on the theory of coupled waves. Experiments were performed with volume-phase holograms in transmission, stored in dichromated gelatine layers. The investigations show that the volume hologram fulfills two functions simultaneously. It acts as a spectral predecomposer and also as a high-resolving spectral apparatus.