Abstract

Optical data storage offers significant improvement over existing storage technology for high-density and high-transfer-rate data storage. A limitation in the development of this technology is the lack of a suitable optical-recording material. A suitable material would have high resolution, permanent data­storage capabilities, non-destructive readout, good sensitivity (for both writing and erasure), high photochemical and thermal stability, and optical-erase capability. Photochromies meet many of the material needs but suffer from a key limitation: Information is lost by repeated reading unless a different wavelength is used for reading and writing. This paper describes a photochromic material, bacteriorhodopsin, in which an external electric field switches its photochromic behavior. Optical information stored in the film is nonvolatile but can be erased with blue light. Non-destructive readout uses red light with the same wavelength of as that used for writing.

© 1996 Optical Society of America