Holographic recording with orthogonally polarized waves in centrosymmetricNa-2[Fe(CN)(5)NO] center dot 2H(2)O

Recording of holographic gratings by excitation of long-living metastable e lectronic states in centrosymmetric sodium nitroprusside can be performed w ith mutually orthogonal polarized waves. Two different cases have to be dis tinguished: 1) In a b-cut the optimum diffraction efficiency of 15% is achi eved if the mutually orthogonal polarized writing waves form an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the alpha- and c-axis. This, together with the fac t that the polarization state is not changed in the diffraction process, in dicates that the gratings originate from the presence of light-induced line ar dichroism. 2) For a c-cut the polarization of the diffracted wave turns out to be orthogonal to the one of the incident beam. The efficiency of thi s so-called anisotropic diffraction reaches a maximum of up to 90% for wave s mutually orthogonal polarized along the alpha- and b-axis.