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Three-dimensional optical data storage in a fluorescent dye-doped photopolymer
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA. mmwang@ucsd.edu
Applied Optics
|March 18, 2008
Summary
We developed a novel optical storage medium using fluorescent molecules in a polymer. This method enables high-density, multilayer data recording with improved stability and reduced scattering.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optical Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Existing optical storage methods face challenges like media shrinkage and optical scatter.
- Photopolymer-based memories often rely on index modulation for data storage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and demonstrate a new monolithic multilayer optical storage medium.
- To utilize fluorescent molecule redistribution for data storage.
- To overcome limitations of existing photopolymer-based optical storage.
Main Methods:
- Developing a photopolymer doped with fluorescent dye.
- Polymerizing the medium at the focal point of a high-numerical-aperture lens.
- Investigating nonlinear recording characteristics via modeling and experimentation.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated data storage via diffusional redistribution of fluorescent molecules.
- Achieved three-dimensional confinement of recorded bits, enabling multilayer recording.
- Verified experimental results with a theoretical model of photopolymerization and diffusion.
Conclusions:
- The proposed optical storage medium offers a novel approach to data recording.
- Fluorescence detection readout mitigates issues of media shrinkage and optical scatter.
- The material's properties allow for efficient single-layer and multilayer data storage.
