Digital Data Storage and Computing by a Vector Holographic Memory System

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 2001-03, Vol.40 (3S), p.1841
• Main Authors: Kawano, Katsunori, Minabe, Jiro, Ishii, Tsutomu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-4922; 1347-4065
• DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.40.1841

We have applied polarization multiplexing to digital data storage and logic operation. Two digital data pages with mutually orthogonal polarization directions were recorded with a reference beam within the same volume of polyester containing cyanoazobenzene units in the side chain. Illuminating the polyester with the reference beam simultaneously yielded the two data pages. The polarization states of the two retrieved images were mutually orthogonal, because the polyester film is capable of recording arbitrary polarization states. Thus, there was no significant cross talk between the two reconstructed data pages. The bit error rates of the two retrieved pages were estimated to be 10 -9 and 10 -6 . Furthermore, by detecting an appropriate polarization component of the diffracted beams, we have successfully obtained subtraction and addition signals between the two multiplexed pages. Since this system is also applicable to logic operation, it would take advantage of the high-density storage, fast transfer rates, and fast processing speeds.