Model of low spatial frequency diffractive elements recorded in photopolymers during and after recording

•We fit the polymerization and diffusion different photopolymer compositions.•We obtain a first approximation of Trommsdorfft’s effect.•We examine the validation of the model during and after recording.•We examine three different spatial frequencies.

Photopolymer are appealing materials for diffractive elements recording. Two of their properties when they are illuminated are useful for this goal: the relief surface changes and the refractive index modifications. In this paper we use a 2-dimensional model, based on direct parameter measurements, for predicting the refractive index distributions during and after illumination. We have analyzed different recording spatial frequencies for photopolymers based on PVA/Acrylamide. This model was successfully applied to different photopolymer compositions with different values of monomer diffusion and polymerization rates.