Printable ink holograms

The development of single-step printable holographic recording techniques can enable applications in rapid data storage, imaging, and bio-sensing. The personalized use of holography is limited due to specialist level of knowledge, time consuming recording techniques, and high-cost equipment. Here, we report a rapid and feasible in-line reflection recording strategy for printing surface holograms consisting of ink using a single pulse of a laser light within seconds. The laser interference pattern and periodicity of surface grating as a function of tilt angle are predicted by computationally and demonstrated experimentally to create 2D linear gratings and three-dimensional (3D) images. We further demonstrate the utility of our approach in creating personalized handwritten signatures and 3D images. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.