Observation of the waveform of accumulated photon echoes in a dye-doped polymer film by use of an interferometer

We used a Michelson-type interferometer to observe the waveform of the accu mulated photon echoes in a 3,3'-diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide-doped pol y(vinyl alcohol) film. By Fourier analysis of the measured interferograms w e obtained the shapes of the burned population grating and the phase gratin g in the sample. From the frequency distribution of the dye molecules, that is efficient for persistent spectral hole burning, we estimated the inhomo geneous frequency distribution of the 0-0 transition from S-0 to S-1 levels of the dye molecules in the poly(vinyl alcohol) film. (C) 1999 Optical Soc iety of America [S0740-3224(99)00210-6].