This is the set up recommended by Dr. Jeong of Integraf (www.integraf.com) for the easiest reflection holograms- and modified to use the PHOTON2 materials. (The laser in the photo is not the PHOTON2 laser. You will need to put the PHOTON2 rectanfular laser on a tilt table so you can adjust the angle of the laser and thus where the beam strikes the mirror.) The laser strikes the small convex mirror (from the small parts box) near the top edge. (Usually, we try to use only the center of the mirror, but this doesn't seem to cause a problem.) The mirror is mounted so that it is tilted downward. The object is to produce a spot of light on the board in front of the mirror mount.

The film plate is placed on the three screws inserted into the optical breadboard. Note that the clearest holograms result when the object is close to the plate. (The plate is emulsion side down.) A handful of coins works quite well.

A diode laser, without its front lens (so that it makes a wide spot) could be mounted vertically, so that it strikes the plate normally with a spot large enough to cover most of the plate. Then the expanding mirror would not be needed.

Set up for reflection hologram. The optical breadboard (this is a smaller version than the PHOTON2 model) sits on a ridged rubber pad. The three screws provide the support for the film plate. (This photo was done in my basement- the breadboard is on an old, very heavy desk. The shutter (not shown) was a shoe box.

 

The mirror in one of the PHOTON bar-type lens holders. Note that the mirror is tipped downward, and the beam (red dot) strikes near the upper edge.

Object (a Star Wars ship) under film plate. The plate needs to rest for a half minute or so before exposure to allow the emulsion to settle.

 

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