In the astronomical field, the progressive increase in telescope size and in the complexity of the spectroscopic instrumentation has highlighted how the current technologies and traditional materials for dispersing elements do not completely meet the present and future requirements. Therefore, new materials and solutions have to be developed, not only to realize future astronomical facilities, but also to improve the performances of already available instruments and devices. In this context, the use of photopolymeric materials for the production of Volume Phase Holographic Gratings (VPHGs) is becoming an interesting approach thanks to their key properties, in particular the self-developing, high sensitivity and the simple manufacturing process. Here, the main design parameters and the strategy to address them will be presented considering the whole UV-NIR spectral range showing the actual capabilities together with the results obtained on real observing astronomical facilities.
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