Three-dimensional optical data storage in refractive media by two-photon point excitation
Abstract
What is to our knowledge the first high-density (>10(12) bits/cm(3)) optical recording of digital information in a multilayered, three-dimensional format is reported. Information is written as submicrometer volume elements of increased refractive index in a photopolymer by two-photon excitation of a photoinitiator at the waist of a highly focused beam from a colliding-pulse mode-locked laser. Quadratic dependence of two-photon excitation on intensity confines polymerization to the focal volume. Information is read with sufficient axial resolution by differential interference contrast microscopy. This write-once, read-many technique should increase the capacity of the spinning disk format by 100-fold.
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Phase voxels are femtosecond-laser-induced isotropic modifications with locally altered refractive index and minimal optical scattering.
“Phase voxels are femtosecond-laser-induced isotropic modifications with locally altered RI and minimal optical scattering.”
From Laser writing in glass for dense, fast and efficient archival data storage (2026) · cites this paper as [31]
Cites
Two-photon laser scanning fluorescence microscopy
Denk, W., Strickler, J. H., & Webb, W. W. (1990) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.2321027 · Cited by 9,488 · see citing works
Self-citationÜber Elementarakte mit zwei Quantensprüngen
Göppert-Mayer, M. (1931) · Annalen der Physik · doi:10.1002/andp.19314010303 · Cited by 2,695 · see citing works
Uber Elementarrakte mit zwei Quantensprungen
Goppert-Mayer, V. M. (1931) · Annals of Physics · Cited by 500 · see citing works
Optical measurement of picometer displacements of transparent microscopic objects
Denk, W. T., & Webb, W. W. (1990) · Applied Optics · doi:10.1364/ao.29.002382 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Self-citationExperimental Holographic Read-Write Memory Using 3-D Storage
D’Auria, L., Huignard, J., Slezak, C., et al. (1974) · Applied Optics · doi:10.1364/ao.13.000808 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
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Three-dimensional optical storage inside transparent materials
Glezer, E. N., Milosavljevic, M., Huang, L., Finlay, R. J., Her, T.-H., Callan, J. P., & Mazur, E. (1996) · Optics Letters · doi:10.1364/ol.21.002023 · Cited by 985 · see citing works
Seemingly Unlimited Lifetime Data Storage in Nanostructured Glass
Zhang, J., Gecevičius, M., Beresna, M., & Kazansky, P. G. (2014) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.112.033901 · Cited by 414 · see citing works
Ultrafast Laser Direct Writing Nanogratings and their Engineering in Transparent Materials
Yao, H., Pugliese, D., Lancry, M., & Dai, Y. (2024) · Laser & Photonics Reviews · doi:10.1002/lpor.202300891 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
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Laser writing in glass for dense, fast and efficient archival data storage
Microsoft Research Project Silica Team, Allison, J., Anderson, P., Aranas, E., Assaf, Y., Black, R., Caballero, M., Canakci, B., Chattaway, J. A., Chatzieleftheriou, A., et al. (2026) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-025-10042-w · Cited by 25 · see citing works
- Authors
- Strickler, J. H., & Webb, W. W.
- Affiliations
- Cornell University (US)
- Venue
- Optics Letters
- Publisher
- Optica Publishing Group
- Published
- 1991-11-15
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 22
- Pages
- 1780
- ISSN
- 0146-9592 (ISSN-L)
- 1539-4794
- OpenAlex
- W2103600923
- Cited by
- 627
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 3.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Optics Letters (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Nonlinear Optical Materials Studies
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Photorefractive and Nonlinear Optics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Computational Mechanics › Laser Material Processing Techniques
- Keywords
- three-dimensional optical data storage, two-photon excitation, photopolymers, refractive index modulation, high-density optical recording, colliding pulse mode-locked laser, photoinitiators, write once read many, differential interference contrast microscopy, axial resolution
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