We show that bistability and metastability of In and Ga impurities in CdF_{2} crystals can be efficiently used in writing volume holographic gratings. Phototransformation of these impurities from the localized to the hydrogenic state leads to a large change of the local polarizability of the host, and thus a significant change of the refractive index. While CdF2:In can be used only at low temperatures (below 150 K), CdF2:Ga crystals are suitable for room temperature recording.
It is shown that metastable centers in various semiconductors can be used for efficient hologram recording. This type of holographic materials has a very high dynamic range and sensitivity. Their major drawback for possible applications is low metastability temperature. This problem can be overcome by using CdF_{2}:Ga crystals, which exhibit metastability below 240 K. This material is suitable for writing thick and multiple holograms both in static and dynamic regimes.
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