HOLOGRAPHIC PROPERTIES OF TRITON X-100-TREATED BACTERIORHODOPSIN EMBEDDED IN GELATIN FILMS

Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) thin films have been fabricated with varying am ounts of the detergent Triton X-100 to measure the effect of this addi tive on the holographic performance of these thin films. Holographic s pectroscopy is used to measure the effect of these detergents on the o verall diffraction efficiency as well as on the phase and amplitude co mponents of the overall signal. The diffracted rise and decay kinetics of these materials will also be presented as a function of varying de tergent concentration. This research also studied the effect of this a dditive on the absorptive properties of bR-based thin films. Compariso ns of the two complimentary sets of data are drawn.