Ultimate Informational Capacity of a Volume Photosensitive Media

TL;DR

This paper investigates the maximum information capacity of 3D holograms using an optimal dynamic range and reciprocal lattice formalism, providing new theoretical insights into holographic data storage limits.

Contribution

It introduces the reciprocal lattice formalism to estimate hologram information capacity and analyzes diffraction-limited recording for the first time.

Findings

Derived the maximum information capacity of volume holograms.

Estimated the optimal number of pages for maximum capacity.

Analyzed the effects of dynamic range and multiplexing on capacity.

Abstract

The ultimate information capacity of a three-dimensional hologram for the case of an optimal use of the dynamic range of a storage medium, number of pages, the readout conditions is considered. The volume hologram is regarded as an object of the information theory. For the first time the formalism of the reciprocal lattice has been introduced in order to estimate the informational properties of the hologram. The diffraction-limited holographic recording is analyzed in the framework of the reciprocal lattice formalism. Calculations of the information capacity of a three-dimensional hologram involve analysis of a set of multiplexed holograms, each of which has a finite signal-to-noise ratio determined by the dynamic range of the holographic medium and the geometry of recording and readout. An optimal number of pages that provides a maxi-mum information capacity at angular multiplexing is estimated.