Organometallic materials for erasable optical storage

An erasable optical storage medium utilizing an AgTCNQ organometallic charge transfer complex has been demonstrated. AgTCNQ films were produced by a vacuum deposition technique in which the donor (Ag) and acceptor (TCNQ degrees ) were reacted in the solid state. High contrast patterns were produced on the material by cw and pulsed Nd:YAG and GaAlAs lasers, and erasure was accomplished by cw Nd:YAG and GaAlAs lasers or bulk heating. Up to fifteen write-erase cycles were observed, with reflectivity increases up to 30% observed in optimum conditions.