Photo-Electronic Optical Memory - Write/Read System

摘要

Chromophoric DNA polymers are being developed for high density optical data storage applications. This project involves the design and synthesis of chromophoric DNA polymers which absorb light energy at a single wavelength and re-emit at predetermined multiple wavelengths. By emitting spectra rather than binary on/off bits, the data word size can be increased significantly and parallel access is enabled. The diffraction limit normally experienced with classical optical interrogation of a binary data site can now be overcome, because the number of data bits per unit area is increased in relation to the number of wavelengths produced at that site. In relation to this DNA optical memory project, a potentially more powerful write process is now being proposed for incorporating higher bit/byte densities in these DNA optical materials. This process, called a 'photoelectronic write', involves using spatial light addressing to a photoactive substrate material which creates microscopic electric fields. These electric fields affect the rapid transport and attachment of charged chromophoric (color) DNA's to the selected write locations. The 'photoelectronic write process' has advantages over this earlier UV write process for the optical storage systems, with potential capacities approaching petabytes on a 5 1/4 inch disc.