SBIR-STTR Award

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

Keywords:
data storage polymers holography computers two photon

A research team, led by LPT, proposes to optimize a new polymeric holographic recording material for optical data storage applications. There is an immediate military and civilian need for high density optical data storage materials and devices. Holographic storage of information records and reads information in a highly parallel fashion (a page-at-a-time) in contrast to bit-by-bit methods employed in conventional Cds. Phase I work has shown that the proposed material can be easily and cost effectively produced as a high optical quality, photosensitive, nonshrinking alternative to more conventional photopolymers. This proposal describes how the material will be optimized, characterized, and ultimately incorporated into two advanced storage architectures: 1) a 3D holographic disc device, and 2) a phase conjugate and virtual object device. Phase II is expected to result in an optimized material and a demonstration that it can be effectively employed in prototype devices. The proposed material and device configurations are expected to address several Air Force mission requirements and provide the proposing firms realistic commercial opportunities.

Keywords:
data storage photopolymer high capacity holography holographic disk