Development of thermoplastic-photoconductor tape for optical recording

We report in this paper the continuous coating of the thermoplastic-photoconductor medium on a transparent polyester tape base for holographic optical data recording. The tape performance is evaluated in a moving transport at speeds up to 15 ips (38.1 cm/sec). Uniform diffraction efficiencies for both 2-D and 1-D holograms have been demonstrated. Furthermore, we have recorded complex 1-D holograms on the moving tape with high quality readout, and we have also made complex spatial filters on the tape which produce good correlation results in a coherent optical data processor. Numerous material factors affecting the performance of the tape in a moving tape system have been defined and investigated. Factors such as coating uniformity, electrode reflectivity, photoconductor reciprocity, the pressure endurance of the surface relief, and the tape noise are singled out for discussion in this paper.