Synthesis & Studies of New Non-Destructive Read-Out Materials for Optical Storage and Optical Switches

摘要

A new organic molecular system has been designed and synthesized for use as media for two photon 3D high-density optical storage devices. The optical, chemical and spectroscopic properties of this non-destructive write/read/erase computer memory material have been studied This organic storage system consists of two different molecular components chemically bonded to each other, a polar photochromic fulgimide and an oxazine dye, to form a composite molecule that retains the photochromic and spectroscopic properties of each individual molecular component yet the changes in the polarity of the fugimide moiety provides the environment necessary for a large increase in the fluorescence intensity of the dye. The stored information was accessed by recording the fluorescence emitted by the dye component after excitation at 660 nm, which is lower in energy than the excited state of the read and write forms, therefore no erasing may occur while reading. Erasing was achieved by excitation of the fulgimide component at 400 nm. 2D and 3D optical storage has been achieved and the efficiencies measured in solution and solid PMMA disks. The kinetics and mechanisms responsible for the molecular transformation of the write, non-destructive read-out and erase forms have also been determined.