Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2011
We have investigated the batch method of thermal fixing for multiplexed holograms. The batch fixing process is pictured and analyzed, for the first time to our knowledge. The batch procedure of thermal fixing includes optical erasure of electronic gratings by subsequent recordings both in the same batch and in different batches, ionic compensation during thermal fixing in one batch, smoothing of ionic gratings during thermal fixing of subsequent batches, and revealing of ionic gratings. The inter-batch optical erasure time constants of LiNbO3:Fe:Ce crystals are measured in experiment.