Abstract

Persistent spectral hole-burning has been proposed as a frequency domain data storage method that allows us to make ultra-high density optical recordings compared with conventional optical disks. Most reports have been on organic materials at relatively low temperatures so far. Recently, intense interest has been shown in the room temperature operation of inorganic materials, which have some structural inhomogeneity introduced to crystal structure [1], and specific glasses [2,3]. We have investigated the characteristics of SrFCl_0.5Br_0.5:Sm powder samples for higher density optical recording materials. We have reported the photon-gated recording and reading characteristics of this materials at room temperature in a relatively broad 1mm diameter area which was irradiated by a laser beam of several mW [4]. However it is necessary to record and read holes onto a much smaller area for optical disk applications. There have been very few reports on this topics. We have investigated room-temperature gated hole recording, reading, erasing, and multiple data-recording with pm order focused beam and several mW of laser power.

© 1994 Optical Society of America