Diffraction properties of volume holographic diffusers

We present a theoretical model based on the coupled-mode theory and use this model to analyze the diffraction properties of volume holographic diffusers, such as diffraction efficiency and wavelength sensitivity. For small diffraction angles our results predict that the diffraction efficiency exhibits a blue shift for its maximum value and a dip at the recording wavelength. For color displays we propose and analyze the wavelength-multiplexed volume holograms recorded with three primary colors, red, green, and blue. Furthermore, our results demonstrate the enhancement of wavelength tolerance for a thin holographic medium, which can serve as a wideband diffuser over the entire visible range. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America.