The schemes of light beam transformations by volume dynamic holograms in re
sonant media revealing the fifth- or higher-order nonlinearities have been
theoretically analyzed. N-wave mixing has been realized by changing of the
propagation direction or frequency of the read-out wave in the solution of
Rhodamine 6G and polymethine 3274U dyes. It has been demonstrated that the
experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical data obtain
ed for a three-level medium model with due regard to absorption from the ex
cited singlet level. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.