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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Uncovering Hidden Dynamics of Natural Photonic Structures Using Holographic Imaging
Published on: March 31, 2022
Theoretical analysis of curved Bragg diffraction images from plane wave reference volume holograms
Se Baek Oh1, Jonathan M Watson, George Barbastathis
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachussetts 02139, USA. sboh@mit.edu
Abstract:
We analyze the shape of Bragg diffraction images from plane wave reference volume holograms in a 4-f geometry. When the volume hologram is probed by out-of-plane probe beams, the diffraction images become curved lines. Exploiting the k-sphere formulation and Fourier optics analysis, we present both geometrical and analytical solutions of the curved shape, which are distorted ellipses. Parameters and conditions related to the curvature are characterized, and experimental evidence is presented.
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