Optical data store and method for storage of data in an optical data store
AssigneeActilor GmbH
InventorNorbert Hampp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical data store is specified, having a data storage layer with a non-toxic and biodegradable polymer as light-sensitive storage medium which has photo-inducible anisotropy, for the induction of which a threshold value of the optical intensity has to be exceeded. The light-sensitive material is preferably bacteriorhodopsin which, by way of example, is immobilized in a manner embedded in a suitable matrix material or, if appropriate, in a crosslinked manner. The storage medium permits a high storage density and can be applied in a simple manner, for instance by printing onto a substrate.
Claims16
A method of storing and erasing data comprising the steps of:
- providing an optical data store containing a data storage layer comprising a light sensitive material, wherein the light-sensitive material is embedded in a matrix material, the matrix material having a softening point that lies below a threshold temperature at which the data storage layer is destroyed, wherein the data storage layer has photo-inducible non-reversible anisotropy, wherein the induction of said photo-inducible non-reversible anisotropy requires a threshold value of the optical intensity to be exceeded;
- writing data to the optical data store by inducing the photo-inducible non-reversible anisotropy using a recording light having an optical intensity exceeding the threshold value;
- and
- heating the matrix material to a temperature above the softening point so as to erase the data by diffusely blurring the data during the heating step.
A method of erasing data comprising the steps of:
- providing an optical data store containing a data storage layer comprising a light sensitive material, wherein the light-sensitive material is embedded in a matrix material, the matrix material having a softening point that lies below a threshold temperature at which the data storage layer is destroyed, wherein the data storage layer has photo-inducible non-reversible anisotropy, wherein the induction of said photo-inducible non-reversible anisotropy requires a threshold value of the optical intensity to be exceeded, and wherein the data storage layer carries data represented by variations of the photo-inducible anisotropy;
- and
- heating the matrix material to a temperature above the softening point so as to erase the data by diffusely blurring the data during the heating step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.