Method for storing holographic data

A method for storing holographic data, said method comprising:

• step (A) providing an optically transparent substrate comprising a block copolymer composition, said block copolymer composition comprising a continuous phase and a dispersed phase, said dispersed phase comprising non-linear materials and being less than about 200 nm in size, and a light absorbing chromophore which is a reverse saturable absorber;
• and
• step (B) locally irradiating the optically transparent substrate with a holographic interference pattern by activating one or more light absorbing chromophores corresponding to a volume element, wherein the pattern has a first wavelength and an intensity both sufficient to cause a phase change, within the volume element of the substrate, in at least a portion of the dispersed phase, and producing within the irradiated volume element refractive index variations corresponding to the holographic interference pattern, thereby producing an optically readable datum corresponding to the volume element.

A method for storing data, said method comprising:

• step (A) providing an optically transparent substrate comprising a polymer composition and a light absorbing chromophore, said polymer composition comprising a continuous phase and a dispersed phase, said dispersed phase comprising crystalline material and being less than about 200 nm in size;
• and
• step (B) locally irradiating a volume element of the optically transparent substrate with a wavelength and an intensity both sufficient to activate the light absorbing chromophore coupled to the volume element to cause a phase change from crystalline to amorphous in at least a portion of the dispersed phase within the volume element of the substrate to produce within the irradiated volume element refractive index variations corresponding to an optically readable datum.

A data storage medium having at least one optically readable datum stored therein, the data storage medium comprising:

• a polymer composition and a light absorbing chromophore, said polymer composition comprising a continuous phase and a dispersed phase, said dispersed phase comprising non-linear materials and being less than about 200 nm in size;
• wherein the optically readable datum is stored as a hologram patterned within at least one volume element of an optically transparent substrate.