Stable optical storage and high-order diffraction in a liquid-crystal polymer film by two-wave mixing

Optical storage with long-term stability and up to third-order diffraction have been observed in a liquid-crystal polymer film by two-wave mixing. After turning off the pump beam, the diffraction of the probe beam remains. While the probe beam is turned off, the intensities of the diffraction beams of the pump beam does not decrease significantly. A brilliant hologram spot is observed on the film during the experiments and the trace of the spot can be maintained over 120 days without obvious change. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.