Self-organization of color centers in holograms recorded in additively colored CaF2 crystals

•Color-centers self-organization is observed at hologram recording in CaF2 crystals.•Colloidal centers formation and decay when recording promotes self-organization.•In the recording process CaF2 crystal can be considered as an “open system”.

The structurization of holographic planes in holograms recorded in CaF2 crystal with color centers was found. It is apparent in the formation of spiral bundles, which pierce the holographic planes. It testifies to the self-organization process of color centers in these planes. This process is supposed to be linked with colloidal centers, 2D metal islets in the crystal lattice, whose formation and decay on hologram recording at temperatures of 150–190 °C may be considered as a dynamic phase transition that facilitates the generation of stable spatially inhomogeneous (dissipative) structures in the form of bundles. They arise on hologram recording and are frozen on cooling of the crystal after the recording process is finished.

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