High Capacity Holographic Data Storage

There is an increasing need for high capacity data storage devices. Current technologies familiar to all computer users include magnetic media and optical compact disks. The need to handle large amounts of information (especially graphical information) requires the development of new data storage techniques utilizing media with terabit/cm3 density and gigabit/sec throughput. LPT and its colleagues have identified two techniques, one based on two photon absorption (TPA) processes and the other on holography in newly developed polymer composites both of which have shown tremendous promise. In order to assess the full potential of these materials, this proposal will examine their properties and techniques including their storage capacity, data transfer rates, and other measures of performance. Further, material optimization needed to achieve the required performance will also be explored. Phase I work will conclude with a critical assessment of the holographic and TPA optical memory techniques and offer detailed recommendations with respect to further development which will form the basis for the Phase II effort. The result of the Phase I effort will be a report detailing the physical basis of the techniques, the optimization of the materials, and a detailed list of recommendations with respect to further development.