Abstract:
Dye precursor moleculesnullnormally rhodamine basenullheld in a transparent matrix are reactive with acids, bases, ions or radicalsnulland in the case of rhodamine are reactive with acidsnullto produce dye moleculesnulli.e., rhodaminenullhaving markedly different spectroscopic properties. Light-sensitive moleculesnullnormally a compound of ortho-nitro-aldehyde, in particular o-nitro-benzaldehyde or, preferably, 1-nitro-2-naphthaldehydenullin the same matrix undergo photochemical reaction when selectively exposed to light so as to form at least one of the acids, bases, ions or radicals with which the dye precursor molecules are reactivenullpreferably nitroso acid. Chemical reaction of rhodamine base dye precursor molecules with photochemically produced nitroso acid within domains that are radiatively-selected two-dimensionally, or within voxels that are radiatively-selected three-dimensionally, by first-frequency nullwritenull radiationnullincluding as may be realized by two-photon absorptionnullproduces stable rhodamine dye in the radiatively-selected domains/voxels. Subsequent illumination with a single second-frequency nullreadnull radiation induces strong fluorescence in the dye of the written domains/voxels while leaving all chemicals/photochemicals unchanged. The induced fluorescence may be imaged to a detector, such as a charge coupled device (CCD), to reliably realize a high signal-to-noise, non-degrading, optical memory of the write once, read many (WORM) type.
Abstract:
An optical data storage system and method comprising a photopolymer medium having generally a polymerizable monomer, an active binder, a first, hologram recording polymerization initiator, and a second, data writing polymerization initiator. The monomer is preferably a cationic ring-opening monomer. The hologram recording polymerization initiator preferably comprises a sensitizer and photoacid generator which initiate a first polymerization in the medium which defines a format hologram. The format hologram recording is carried out via interference of a signal and reference beam, with the sensitizer being specific for the wavelength(s) of the signal and reference beams. The hologram recording polymerization is only partial and does not consume all of the monomer present in the photopolymer medium. A second stage, a data writing polymerization initiator, specific to a data writing beam, locally advances polymerization at selected data storage locations to alter the previously recorded format hologram, resulting in optical data storage as localized alterations in the format hologram.
Abstract:
Provided is a medium for recording optical information and a method for recording optical information that allow recording sensitivity to be increased, and particularly a prescribed recording sensitivity to be maintained together with reflectivity and other playback characteristics during high-speed recording, by employing the temperature dependence of recording sensitivity of the light-absorbing layer instead of the light attenuation coefficient of the light-absorbing layer, and selecting a material which is prone to increased absorption of a laser beam at high temperatures during recording. A distinctive feature is that the absorbance or recording sensitivity of the dye material film used in the medium for recording optical information that has a writable structure is dependent on temperature. Specifically, it was found that the absorption spectrum of the dye material varies at high temperatures, and a relation A2/A1≧1.30 was established. In this relation, A1 (Abs) is an absorbance of the light-absorbing layer at a wavelength of recording light under room-temperature conditions, T (°C.) is a pyrolysis temperature of the light-absorbing layer, and A2 (Abs) is an absorbance at a wavelength of recording light under T−50 (°C.) conditions.
Abstract:
An optical data storage medium containing a preferably transparent substrate which has optionally already been coated with one or more reflecting layers and onto the surface of which a photorecordable information layer, optionally one or more reflecting layers, and optionally a protective layer or an additional substrate or a top layer are applied, which data storage medium can be recorded on and read using blue or red light, preferably laser light, wherein the information layer contains a light-absorbing compound and optionally a binder, characterized in that at least one heterocyclic azo dye is used as the light-absorbing compound.
Abstract:
Optical data carrier comprising a preferably transparent substrate which may, if desired, have previously been coated with one or more reflection layers and to whose surface a light-writeable information layer, if desired one or more reflection layers and if desired a protective layer or a further substrate or a covering layer have been applied, which can be written on or read by means of blue, red or infrared light, preferably laser light, where the information layer comprises a light-absorbent compound and, if desired, a binder, characterized in that at least one merocyanine dye is used as light-absorbent compound.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to use of transition metal complexes in photochromic devices, to the production of optical information storage devices based on a polymeric matrix and on metal oxides with adsorbed transition metal complexes, to the production of photochromic materials constituted by a film of metal oxide with adsorbed two different type of molecular systems, one acting as a charge transfer sensitizer and the second as an electron acceptor.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a novel multi-layered optical recording media and system for recording and reproducing information data. The multi-layered topical recording media has M information storage decks, and each information storage deck has N information storage layers, and each information storage layer has a pair of information storage structures. Each paired information storage structure has a characteristic wavelength and polarization state, and from which recorded information can be read by a laser beam having similar wavelength and polarization-state characteristics. In the illustrative embodiment, the multi-layered optical recording media of the present invention has MxNx2 information storage layers which can be read using only N laser lines (i.e. spectral components), thereby providing a 2M-fold increase in information storage capacity over prior art systems. The information storage and retrieval system of the present invention is completely backward compatible to allow for the reading of conventional CD-ROM devices.
Abstract:
An optical recording method suited for recording a very small object or movement of a living organism such as a microorganism, which comprises irradiating an informative object set on or above a recording layer comprising a photosensitive material capable of undergoing a storable and detectable photochemical reaction, preferably a polymer material containing a photoreactive component capable of photoisomerization and having in the repeating unit thereof at least one group selected from a urethane group, a urea group, an amide group, a carboxyl group and a hydroxyl group, and recording a distribution of an optical near field generated from the informative object being irradiated on the photosensitive material as a photoreacting quantity of the photosensitive material.
Abstract:
An optical recording medium of the present invention includes a recording layer, in which information is recorded in a three-dimensional manner in an in-plane direction and a thickness direction of the recording layer. The recording layer includes a thermochromic material whose color changes reversibly according to a temperature. The thermochromic material converts absorbed light into heat, increases its light absorptance as the temperature rises and, when the temperature reaches a first predetermined temperature or higher, changes irreversibly to a translucent substance whose color does not change according to a temperature change. In this optical recording medium, since only the position on which irradiated light is focused develops color so as to increase light absorptance, this property is utilized for recording and reproducing information.
Abstract:
In a multilayer recordable optical medium, each recording layer includes a luminophore that fluoresces under reading laser light and a quencher capable of quenching the luminophore fluorescence. Initially, the luminophore and the quencher are not intermixed, so that the default state of the luminophore is fluorescent. During writing, focused writing radiation heats a spot in the medium so as to cause the luminophore and the quencher to be intermixed, thereby quenching the fluorescence.