Application of all-optical poling in reversible optical storage in azopolymer films

Employing all-optical poling technique, we propose a novel method for optic al storage based on the mechanism of orientational hole burning and photoin duced molecular reorientation of azobenzene. Recording of an optical binary image was experimentally demonstrated. The recorded information can be sto red for a long time and also can be erased rapidly with a circularly polari zed light. Furthermore, wavelength conversion of optical image is obtainabl e using such method. The storage characteristics of two different polymer s ystems, ate-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and azo-functionalized p olyimide (PI), were investigated and compared. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.