The Hesselink's Research Group focuses its efforts on fundamental processes related to laser-matter interaction with novel applications in photonics and nano technology.

In the eighties photorefractive processes were studied for optical interconnects, holographic data storage and optical signal processing for 3-D imaging and flow visualization. A key aspect of the group's work was development of new materials and improved processes for the use of media for innovative photonics applications.
For example, holography was used for 3-D displays of medical data, volumetric storage, defect detection and enhancement in inspection systems for electronic circuits. Photorefractive media were grown in bulk form using the Chrozalski method, and in fiber format with a laser heated pedestal technique developed in the Stanford Center for Materials research. Bulk glasses were fabricated with rare-earth dopants for holographic storage and novel 3-D displays.

These efforts lead to the development and demonstration of the first digital holographic data storage system in 1994. We demonstrated the use of digital techniques to overcome analog issues related to holographic storage in LiNbO3 and photopolymer media by building a completely digital system in which data were stored as pages of bits for ultra-high speed data readout.

A new digital encoding technique was invented to optimize the holographic storage approach. The first stored images were still pictures of Mona Lisa, followed by sound, movies and other digital information.
The results of this effort were reported in a Science article in August 1994.
This early effort under sponsorship of DARPA through the Center for Nonlinear Optical Materials (CNOM) lead to a large DARPA/NSIC/Industry Consortium research and development effort on Photorefractive Storage Materials (PRISM) and on Holographic Data Storage Systems (HDSS).
Professor Hesselink was the Principal Investigator of this $52M DARPA project from its inception in 1994 till 2000.
He also founded a start-up company Siros Technologies for commercialization of the groups research results. Siros now provides high performance, low cost laser products for the telecommunication industry.

As a result of this effort many innovations and fundamental issues in holographic data storage were accomplished. The first fully digital recording of video and digital data using fixing in photorefractive LiNbO3 overcoming the previous shortcomings of erasure upon readout, new components were developed such as a 1Kx1K x1K Spatial Light Modulator, CCD array, a compact and highly precise optical testbed and demonstration system, and most importantly new materials from novel photorefractives, to photosensitive glasses, and photopolymer media with extremely high sensitivity and very small shrinkage.

The components made it possible to build the world's fastest optical data storage system having a demonstrated readout rate of 10 Gbit/sec in 2000. This system distinguished itself being also the first fully implemented holographic data storage system with a complete electronic encoding and decoding channel capable of real-time recording and readout at rates up to 10 Gbit/sec.

Currently the group is collaborating with outside corporate research labs and startup companies to transfer this technology for commercialization purposes.