Patent · US Expired

Fluorescent optical memory

US6291132A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
26References
48Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 21, 2000
Grant dateSep 18, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 21, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S430/146
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention includes a method of manufacturing a fluorescent 3-D optical memory device implementing an active medium capable of storing information at high information density, and an optical memory device manufactured by this method. The active medium employed in the present invention is a material capable of existing in at least 2 isomeric forms. Transition from one form to another can be induced upon illuminating this material by a "writing" electromagnetic radiation having a first spectrum. At the same time the other isomeric form is capable of fluorescence upon illuminating this material by a "reading" electromagnetic radiation with a second spectrum. By virtue of illuminating with a radiation having the first spectrum there are created elemental cells within a medium material, containing substantially the same isomeric form thereof, which can be either that form which is capable of fluorescence or the other one which is not. The information is stored within the medium as numerical values associated with the amount of one of the isomeric forms of active medium contained within elemental cells distributed within the active medium.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.