I-Corps: Folio Photonics: A Multilayer Polymer Substrate for Optical Data Storage

光学数据存储（ODS）应用程序的变革概念是多媒体、数字归档、安全性和许多其他方面的未来需求所必需的。商业数据存储技术正在向三维材料转移，但已知的概念受到限制和高制造成本的影响。本文所演示的基于共挤多层薄膜的存储介质克服了这些问题，并允许TB级（TB）的逐位光学数据存储。通过单光子吸收对荧光染料进行光漂白，将复杂图案和单个比特形式的信息记录在多达23个叠加层中。结果表明，这种制造工艺比目前的方法简单得多，并且可以实现几乎与蓝光兼容的读/写系统，产生比目前技术水平高几个数量级的高密度多层存储介质容量。互联网、娱乐、医疗保健和众多其他行业中各种数字数据的爆炸式增长将需要不断增加的档案存储、数据分发和安全能力。例如，云计算的快速增长。存储和访问将需要安全备份。目前的光数据存储介质制造商不断报道他们努力提高容量和密度，以满足未来的市场需求，如超高清视频。在分析报道的方法时，提出的制造多层聚合物数据存储基板的工艺具有变革性的潜力，实现了真正可扩展的低成本方法。除了在数字数据存储方面的潜在应用之外，这种薄膜还可以适用于许多其他需要写入多层数据以进行安全存储的技术。

Transformative concepts for optical data storage (ODS) applications are needed for future needs in multimedia, digital archiving, security, and many others. Commercial data storage technologies are moving to three-dimensional materials, but the known concepts suffer from limitations and high fabrication costs. Herein, a demonstrated storage medium, based on co-extruded multilayer films, overcomes these problems and allows for terabyte-level (TB), bit-by-bit optical data storage. Information in the form of complex patterns and individual bits was recorded in up to 23 superimposed layers by photobleaching a fluorescent dye via one-photon absorption. Results indicate this fabrication process is far simpler than current approaches and enables a read/write system that is nearly Blu-ray compatible, producing high-density multilayer storage media capacities orders of magnitude higher than the state of the art. The explosion of digital data of all kinds in the internet, entertainment, health care, and a plethora of other industries will require an ever increasing capacity of archival storage, data distribution and security. For example, the rapid growth of ?cloud? storage and access will require secure backup. Current manufacturers of optical data storage media have continuously reported their efforts to increase capacity and density to meet future market needs, such as super HD video. In analyzing the reported approaches, the proposed process for manufacturing multilayer polymer data storage substrates has the potential to be transformative, enabling a truly scalable, low-cost approach. In addition to potential applications in digital data storage, such films could be applicable in a number of other technologies requiring written multilayer data for secure storage.