P3D New Holograph tech

[aifxtony@xxxxxxx (Tony Alderson)]

There was an interesting article in yesterday's LA Times Business Section
(June 21, 1999, pg C4, by Lee Dye) about a new method for recording
holographs.  Perhaps someone else on list can refer us to a primary source.
I quote:

"Researchers at Riso National Laboratory in Denmark say they can create a
hologram in only 5 billionths of a second (instead of several minutes)
through a technique that requires no chemical processing and thus is
immediately ready for viewing."

"Instead of photographic film used in other holographic processes, the
researchers use a thin polymer film that responds instantaneously to a
pulsed laser beam. For reasons that are not yet understood, the laser
removes some of the mass on the film and leaves a 'grating' that can be
used to project a three-dimensional image of the target."

"And because the laser pulses 20 times a second, 'we can make 3-D movies
with it at a video rate,' said P.S. Ramanujam, lead scientist on the
project" (...)  "But he said it will be awhile-maybe 15 to 20 years-before
the holographic version of 'Gone With The Wind' comes to your neighborhood
theater."

(...) "He said, however, the short exposure time using polymer film-which
can be erased by heating and instantly reused-is 'paving the way for a
cheap, mass replication' of holograms."

I comment:

No mention is made of color holograms, but the potential of this process is
quite intruiging. And the laser must not remove much mass, if the film can
be erased and reused. Could holograms become cheaper and easier than
autostereographs?

The article mentions a report on the research in the May 24 issue of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  I haven't tried a web or
library search yet, but presumably more info is available. Anybody have
some leads?

Tony Alderson



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