OPTICALLY ACTIVE MATERIALS

Optically active materials are required for applications in photonics, optical communiction, computing and high-density holographic storage techniques. Valuable information on optically active states, optical structurization and its kinetics can be drawn from experiments with neutrons. In particular, slow relaxation processes in the glass phase of photopolymers can be investigated with HOLONS, a new neutron facility at the GKSS research center in Geesthacht The relationship between photons and neutrons is a sysnergetic one, since neutron physics likewise profits from concepts developed in light (nonlinear) optics. Exemplarily, we discuss the electro-neutron-optic effect and holographic grating interferometers for cold neutrons.