Optical image processing by polarization hologram in amorphous As/sub 2/S/sub 3/ thin film

Polarization holograms were fabricated in amorphous As/sub 2/S/sub 3/ semiconductor thin films prepared by thermal evaporation and diffraction efficiencies were measured. To apply the polarization hologram that was recorded by two polarized laser beams to optical signal processing, the polarization holograms were recorded and reconstructed. For the case of hologram that recorded by two orthogonal linear polarization beams, the diffraction efficiency was independent on the reading beam and the polarization state of diffracted beam was found to be a function of the reading beam. On the contrary, when two recording beams have reverse circular polarized beams, the diffraction efficiency was strongly dependent on the polarization of the reading beam. Using these phenomena, the two images recorded on the same position were separately selected without changing the alignment of the optical system through the variation of the polarization states of the reading beam.