Optical information storage medium
AssigneeCase Western Reserve University
InventorsKenneth Singer, Chris Ryan, Jie Shan, Joseph Lott, Christophe Weder, Brent Valle, Eric Baer
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Abstract
An optical information storage medium includes a multilayer film that includes a plurality of extruded alternating active data storage layers and buffer layers, which separate the active data storage layers. The active data storage layers and buffer layers have thicknesses that allow the active data storage layers to be writable by permanent or reversible one- or multiphoton, linear, nonlinear, or threshold optical writing processes to define data voxels within the active data storage layers that are readable by an optical reading device.
Claims40
An optical information storage medium comprising a multilayer polymeric film that includes a plurality of coextruded alternating polymeric active data storage layers and polymeric buffer layers, which separate the active data storage layers, the active data storage layers including a fluorescent dye that undergoes a permanent optically induced localized nonlinear or threshold change of fluorescence intensity when written by a single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process with excitation within the absorption band of the fluorescent dye and at least one data voxel written below the diffraction limit and axially confined within a discrete active data storage layer of the active storage layers by the polymeric buffer layers adjacent to the discrete active data storage layer by the single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process, the active data storage layers and buffer layers having thicknesses that allow the active data storage layers to be writable by the single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process with excitation within the absorption band of the fluorescent dye to define the at least one data voxel within the discrete active data storage layer that is readable by an optical reading device.
An optical information storage medium comprising a multilayer polymeric film that includes a plurality of coextruded alternating thermoplastic active data storage layers and thermoplastic buffer layers, which separate the thermoplastic active data storage layers, the thermoplastic active data storage layers including a fluorescent dye that undergoes a permanent optically induced localized nonlinear or threshold change of fluorescence intensity when written by a single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process with excitation within the absorption band of the dye and at least one data voxel written below the diffraction limit and axially confined within a discrete thermoplastic active data storage layer of the thermoplastic active data storage layers by the thermoplastic polymeric buffer layers adjacent to the discrete thermoplastic active data storage layer by the single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process, wherein thicknesses of the thermoplastic active data storage layers and thermoplastic buffer layers allowing the active data storage layers to be writable by the single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process with excitation within the absorption band of the fluorescent dye to define the at least one data voxel within the discrete thermoplastic active data storage layer that is readable by an optical reading device and wherein the thermoplastic active data storage layers and thermoplastic buffer layers have matching melt viscosities that allow the alternating thermoplastic active data storage layers and the thermoplastic buffer layers to be coextruded and form the multilayer polymeric film.
An optical data storage system comprising:
- a multilayer polymeric film that includes a plurality of coextruded alternating polymeric active data storage layers and polymeric buffer layers, which separate the active data storage layers, the active data storage layers including a fluorescent dye that undergoes a permanent optically induced localized nonlinear or threshold change of fluorescence intensity when written by a single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process with excitation within the absorption band of the fluorescent dye and at least one data voxel written below the diffraction limit and axially confined within a discrete active data storage layer of the active data storage layers by the polymeric buffer layers adjacent to the discrete active data storage layer, by the single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process, the active data storage layers and buffer layers having thicknesses that allow the active data storage layers to be writable by the single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process with excitation within the absorption band of the fluorescent dye to define the at least one data voxel within the discrete active data storage layer that is readable by an optical reading device;
- a single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing device for defining the at least one data voxel within the discrete active data storage layer;
- and
- an optical reading device for reading the at least one data voxel defined within the discrete active data storage layer.
A method of storing data, the method comprising:
- providing a multilayer polymeric film that includes a plurality of alternating polymeric active data storage layers and polymeric buffer layers, which separate the active data storage layers, the active data storage layers including a material that undergoes a permanent optically induced localized nonlinear or threshold change of fluorescence intensity when written by a single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process with excitation within the absorption band of the material, the active data storage layers and buffer layers having thicknesses that allow the active data storage layers to be writable by the single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process with excitation within the absorption band of the material to define at least one data voxel within a discrete active data storage layer of the active data storage layers that are readable by an optical reading device;
- and
- writing at least one data voxel below the diffraction limit within the discrete active data storage layer and axially confined to the discrete active data storage layer by the polymeric buffer layers adjacent to the discrete active data storage layer using a single wavelength nonlinear or threshold optical writing process with excitation within the absorption band of the fluorescent material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.