High Density, High Performance Optical Data Storage via Volume Holography: Viability at Last?

The long held promise of using volume holography to deliver high performance optical storage is reviewed. The problems, which limited the development for many years, are assessed. Finally, we describe a series of innovations, which may make the technology viable at last. The manuscript results from an invited paper presented at the International Photonics Conference 1998 and was provided for a special issue of Optical and Quantum Electronics.