Patent ID: 8133639

Claim:
A composition comprising a support matrix and a polymerizable system in the support matrix, the polymerizable system comprising: a polymerizable component comprising at least one photoactive polymerizable material; and a photoinitiator component comprising at least one photoinitiator for causing the polymerizable component to polymerize to thereby form at least one holographic grating in a given volume of the holographic recording medium when activated by exposure to a photoinitiating light source; wherein when a portion of the polymerizable component has been polymerized to form at least one holographic grating in the given volume, further polymerization of the unpolymerized portion of the polymerizable component in the given volume: (1) is deliberately controlled and substantially retarded to minimize dark reactions when not exposed to the photoinitiating light source; and (2) can occur when further exposed to the photoinitiating light source; and wherein the polymerizable system further comprises one or more polymerization retarders so that further polymerization of the unpolymerized portion of the polymerizable component is deliberately controlled and substantially retarded to minimize dark reactions when not exposed to the photoinitiating light source; wherein the one or more of the polymerization retarders are attached to the support matrix.