Method and media for accessing data in three dimensions

A medium for forming a substantially persistent three-dimensional object comprising:

• a substantially transparent dispersion medium capable of maintaining a relatively stable shape containable within a volume;
• and reactive material, comprising a first reactant, a second reactant and a third reactant, substantially dispersed in said dispersion medium, said first reactant being responsive to radiation having at least two radiation states so as to exhibit a change in physico-chemical properties at selected locations within said volume by the cooperative action of said radiation states;
• said second reactant being a sensitizer material responsive to one of said radiation states so as to absorb energy and to transfer at least a portion of said absorbed energy to said third reactant of said material, and said third reactant being responsive to form said substantially persistent three-dimensional object.

A method for optically accessing data stored in a three-dimensional spatial pattern in active media, said active media being capable of exhibiting characteristics of preselected low or high optical reactivity representing information bits in response to excitation radiation, said method comprising the steps of:

• directing selected locations within said media a first beam of electromagnetic excitation radiation of a preselected energy characteristic to excite said media along the path of said first beam to an excited state capable of exhibiting said optical reactivity;
• and
• directing a second beam of electromagnetic radiation of a preselected energy characteristic to at least one location within said media intersecting the path of said first beam, said second beam being matched to characteristics of said excited state of said media to cause said media to exhibit said low or high optical reactivity so that said optical reactivity is optically sensible as a representation of a selected binary state stored at the intersection of said first beam and said second beam.

A method of accessing three-dimensional spatially stored optically sensible data disposed an array of distinguishable regions capable of physio-chemical transformation sensible as representing bits of a selected binary state, said method comprising the steps of:

• directing to a selected portion of said distinguishable regions capable of transformation a first beam of electromagnetic radiation matched to absorption characteristics of first state properties of said distinguishable regions to establish a first changed physio-chemical state;
• and
• directing a second beam of electromagnetic radiation to intersect within said selected portion of said regions, said second beam of radiation being matched to absorption characteristics of said first changed state such that an intersection exhibits substantially changed properties relative to said first state, said first changed state being confined to said intersection, said substantially changed properties being a transformation which is optically sensible as representing a selected binary state.