Instant Holography

Instant photography, epitomized by Polaroid films is characterized by the rapid appearance of an image after exposure. We describe here an instant off-axis holographic process, characterized by exposures as short as 5 ns and an instant display process, not requiring any wet chemical processing. The holograms are made in a side-chain azobenzene polyester and can be erased through a thermal treatment of the film enabling the film to be reused. Significantly, an atomic force microscopic scan of the film shows a strong surface relief after the 5 ns exposure paving the way for a cheap, mass replication of the holograms using a micromolding technique. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics.