Inkjet printing of transparent sol-gel computer generated holograms

In this paper we report for the first time a method for the production of transparent computer generated holograms by desktop inkjet printing. Here we demonstrate a methodology suitable for the development of a practical approach towards fabrication of diffraction patterns using a desktop inkjet printer and nonocrystalline sol-gel ink. In particular, the reported inkjet printing method can be used to generate transparent diffraction structures on supports such as those widely applied in security technologies. Transparent highly refractive layers were deposited with a high precision via a wet-to-dry printing method based on the sol-gel transition phenomenon. With this approach we were able to print a diffraction pattern by TiO2 xerogel, with which a transparent computer generated hologram was created. We argue that this new technology can form the foundation for a new generation of commercial protective coating technologies applied by industrial inkjet printing.