Lighting the way for future computers: Reversible optical switch may be basis for rewritable 3-D data storage system

摘要

A light-activated optical switch under development at the Georgia Institute of Technology could be the basis for a new type of rewritable three-dimensional data storage system. By utilizing a small number of "trigger molecules" to induce a phase transition in liquid crystal materials, the system would write, read, and erase information using different forms of polarized and unpolarized light. Such an optical storage system would offer significant advantages over conventional computer floppy disks, magnetic tape, and compact disks, which use two-dimensional media to store data.