IMPROVEMENTS IN OPTICAL DATA STORAGE
A data storage medium for storing digital data. The medium includes a mixture of different nano-sized materials, each of the nano-sized materials having a respective optical transition profile characterizing an optical transition of the nano-sized material and covering a respective wavelength range, wherein a combined optical transition profile of the mixture covers an extended wavelength range as compared to the respective wavelength ranges of the respective optical transition profiles of the different nano-sized materials, and wherein one or more of the different nano-sized materials is photo-reactive to selectively vary a respective absorption/emission band upon irradiation to encode digital data in the combined optical transition profile of the mixture.
1 . A data storage medium for storing digital data comprising:
a mixture of different nano-sized materials, each of the nano-sized materials having a respective optical transition profile characterizing an optical transition of the nano-sized material and covering a respective wavelength range, wherein a combined optical transition profile of the mixture covers an extended wavelength range as compared to the respective wavelength ranges of the respective optical transition profiles of the different nano-sized materials, and wherein one or more of the different nano-sized materials is photo-reactive to selectively vary a respective absorption/emission band upon irradiation to encode digital data in the combined optical transition profile of the mixture.
2 . The data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the respective absorption/emission band is frequency selectively bleached to form a spectral hole in the combined optical transition profile to encode digital data.
3 . The data storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the spectral hole in the combined optical transition profile is configured to have a predetermined depth level, the predetermined depth level selected from a plurality of depth levels to encode digital data in the spectral hole of the combined optical transition profile.
4 . The data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the respective wavelength ranges of the respective optical transition profiles of the different nano-sized materials have substantially the same width.
5 . The data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein respective peak wavelengths of the respective optical transition profiles of the different nano-sized materials are substantially equally spaced with respect to each other.
6 . The data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the combined optical transition profile comprises a substantially flat portion over the extended wavelength range.
7 . The data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the mixture is distributed in a substantially two-dimensional (2D) configuration.
8 . The data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the mixture is distributed in a substantially three-dimensional (3D) configuration.
9 . The data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the different nano-sized materials comprise different Ba x Sr y Ca z FCl r Br s I t : Sm 2+ nanocrystal materials where the values of x, y, z, r, s and t are selected from 0 to 1 and subject to the constraints that x+y+z=1 and r+s+t=1.
10 . The data storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the different nano-sized materials comprise different Ba 1-x Sr x FCl: Sm 2+ nanocrystal materials where x is selected from 0 to 1.
11 . The data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the data storage medium is operable to store and read digital data at cryogenic temperatures.
12 . The data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the data storage medium is operable to store and read digital data at substantially non-cryogenic temperatures.
13 . The data storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the data storage medium is operable to store and read digital data at substantially room temperature.
14 . A method for storing digital data, comprising:
providing the data storage medium of claim 1 ;
irradiating the digital storage medium in accordance with the digital data to selectively vary the respective absorption/emission band to encode the digital data.
15 . A method for reading stored digital data, comprising:
providing the data storage medium of claim 1 ; and
determining in accordance with the digital data whether the respective absorption/emission band has been selectively varied to decode the digital data.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining whether the respective absorption/emission band has been selectively varied comprises measuring a reflection profile from the data storage medium.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining whether the respective absorption/emission band has been selectively varied comprises measuring an absorption profile of the data storage medium.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining whether the respective absorption/emission band has been selectively varied comprises measuring an emission profile of the data storage medium.