Methods for analysis and optimization of volume holographic recording are presented for two main groups of applications. In the first group of applications (mainly storage systems), the designs and the techniques of volume holography are well known and the main optimization effort is finding the proper material to store the holograms. One of the results of this research is complete global optimization of dynamic range and sensitivity in two-center recording that is the best technique for persistent rewritable storage. For this purpose, a complete theoretical analysis as well as experimental demonstration is presented. Also, other effects and processes such as electron tunneling and recording at high temperature are considered for possible improvement of the dynamic range of the material. For the second group of applications (mainly holographic optical elements), the focus of this research is on analysis and optimization of the design of the volume holograms in contrast to material optimization. A new method (multi-grating method) is developed for the analysis of an arbitrary hologram that is based on the representation of the hologram as the superposition of several plane wave gratings. Based on this method, a new class of optical devices that integrates the functionalities of different optical elements into a simple volume hologram is introduced and analyzed. As a result, very compact, low cost, and easy to use devices such as portable spectrometers can be made with particular applications in biological and environmental sensing.

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