PHOTOTAUTOMERIZATION AND BROAD-BAND SPECTRAL HOLOGRAPHY

We investigate the engraving of spectral holograms in porphyrin-deriva tive-doped solids, where a tautomerization process gives rise to persi stent spectral hole burning at low temperature. Starting with a micros copic model of this process, we build a theory that connects conventio nal narrow-band hole burning with the engraving and retrieval of broad band holograms, in samples with possibly large optical density. The th eory is consistent with the experiment that we designed to check it. ( C) 1998 Optical Society of America [S0740-3224(98)00308-7] OCIS codes: 160.4890, 190.4380, 210.4810, 300.6290, 300.6240, 300.6250.