Hologram formation in hardened dichromated gelatin films

Hardened gelatin films sensitized with ammonium dichromate can be utilized to record high quality holograms. The maximum diffraction efficiency of the hologram approaches 90%. The light scattering from the hologram is so low that under ordinary light the hologram plate appears almost indistinguishable from a clear glass plate. Either a transmission or a reflection hologram can be recorded. Linear recording range of light amplitude is large. A practical method of preparing and processing the film is described, and the exposure characteristics are presented.