Micro-holograms recorded in a new thermoplastic medium for holographic data storage

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper updates the recent progress in the micro- holographic format data recorded in our second-generation dye-doped thermoplastic medium. This new medium is about 400 times more sensitive than our first generation material, while our single-bit system needs less than 2.3 milliseconds to write a micro-hologram. The characteristics of micro-holograms record ed in the high sensitivity material are presented and compared to earlier results from the first-generation low-sensitivity material. Keywords: holographic material, dye-doped thermoplastic medium, micro-hologram format, M/#, and material sensitivity 1. INTRODUCTION Holographic data storage is one of the most promising technologies for future generations of optical data storage. While today’s optical data storage techniques are based on surface recording, holographic techniques take advantage of the third dimension (depth) by recording information in the form of volumetric gratings inside the entire volume of the recording media. Potentially, a CD-size holographic disc can store over 200 gigabytes of content. Most demonstrations of holographic storage use a page-based approach and a photopolymer medium.