Insight into the mechanism of thiol-based photopolymers for DOEs

Diffractive Optical Elements (DOEs) are widely used in different technologies such as laser manipulation, spectroscopy and augmented reality. In this study, we present a novel photopolymer-based holographic material. The novelty lies in the free-monomer formulation, which enables cost reduction. The formulation is simple, and the components are commercially available. All the films are recorded with a Lloyd Mirror holographic setup fed by a 457 nm laser. Multiple characterizations are presented to identify the key parameters of this material. To find an explanation on the chemical reaction happening inside this new photopolymer as well as the role of the crosslinker, some spectroscopic measurements are carried out. We propose a roadmap for the future improvements of this chemical formulation.