Co-multiplexing spectral and temporal dimensions based on luminescent materials.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Information Security

Background:

• Optical multiplexing enhances optical data storage (ODS) and anti-counterfeiting security.
• Current optical multiplexing is limited to a single dimension due to storage media constraints, reducing encoding capacity.
• There is a need for advanced optical encoding techniques to overcome current limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a co-multiplexing approach utilizing spectral and temporal dimensions for optical encoding.
• To enhance the encoding capacity and security of optical data storage and anti-counterfeiting measures.

Main Methods:

• Developed optical encoding based on photoluminescence (PL) and persistent-luminescence (PersL) at four distinct wavelengths.
• Utilized co-multiplexing of spectral and temporal dimensions, with each emission color comprising four luminescence modes.
• Analyzed the multiplexing of four wavelengths to determine the maximum encoding capacity.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum encoding capacity of 8 bits per pixel by multiplexing spectral and temporal dimensions across four wavelengths.
• Ensured well-separated emission wavelengths (difference > 50 nm), reducing the need for high-resolution spectrometers.
• Demonstrated enhanced information security, as data requires both PL and PersL spectra for decoding.

Conclusions:

• The proposed co-multiplexing technique significantly increases optical encoding capacity.
• The method offers a substantial improvement in information security and anti-counterfeiting capabilities.
• This approach overcomes limitations of single-dimension optical multiplexing, paving the way for advanced ODS.