A novel sensitized photochromic organic glass for holographic optical storage

A new class of photochromic glasses for use in irreversible holographic optical storage applications is described. The recording mechanism involves a triplet-sensitized photoreaction of an organic chromophore. The materials are isotropic and red-sensitive, and exhibit high diffraction efficiencies and long hologram lifetimes. The wavelength sensitivity can be adjusted by the choice of sensitizer; C60, sensitive in the red, is described here. Single digital data page recording and error-free readout are demonstrated at a density of 0.5 Mb/cm2; multiplexing in a 150-μm-thick sample is also demonstrated.