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All‐Optical Operation Cycle on Molecular Bits with 250‐GHz Clock‐Rate Based on Photochromic Fulgides
Author(s) -
Malkmus S.,
Koller F. O.,
Draxler S.,
Schrader T. E.,
Schreier W. J.,
Brust T.,
DiGirolamo J. A.,
Lees W. J.,
Zinth W.,
Braun M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200700553
Subject(s) - photochromism , ultrashort pulse , optoelectronics , materials science , femtosecond , optical storage , 3d optical data storage , optics , computer data storage , encoding (memory) , computer hardware , computer science , physics , laser , nanotechnology , artificial intelligence
The prototype operation of an ultrafast write–readout–erase–readout cycle of an all‐optical system based on photochromic indolylfulgides is demonstrated. In the employed dye the molecular structure is switched using light of different wavelengths between two thermally stable states to allow binary encoding of information. Non‐destructive readout of the bit states using infrared light completes the scheme of an all‐optical memory. For ultrafast operation femtosecond light pulses are applied and it is demonstrated that two consecutive write/erase processes separated by less than 4 ps still allow the defined readout of the bit state. The short time between the write/erase and readout actions demonstrates that an all‐optical data storage system based on indolylfulgides may be operated at memory clock rates that exceed 250 GHz.