Shift-multiplexed microhologram fabrication with photoisomeric chromophores.

Microholographic memory is an attractive storage system for its capability to hold high-density data and for its access time. Using a photochromic chromophore (diarylethene)-doped recording medium can give rise to microholographic memory's durability and contrast. In addition, it is possible to increase the microholographic memory's density by shift-multiplexed recording, since a hologram pit is constructed in a small area.

Jitter-free multi-layered nanoparticles optical storage disk with buffer ring.

A multi-layered nanoparticles optical disk has been developed for a jitter-free high-density data storage system. The disk has nano structures composed of 300-nm-diameter photosensitive particles and 30-nm-width non-photosensitive buffer rings around them. With the buffer rings into the nanoparticles disk, a conventional confocal microscope equipped with a low numerical aperture (NA) objective picked up a particle's shape signal to generate a synchronous signal on its own.

Confocal nonlinear optical microscopy for high-resolution measurement of absorptive objects.

We demonstrate a new scheme to enhance the spatial resolution of a confocal optical microscope. Our scheme improves the spatial resolution in the direction of the optical axis. The confocal optical microscope, by use of a four-wave mixing geometry, can obtain optical information about weakly absorptive objects with organic dyes.

High-resolution optical storage by use of minute spheres.

We have developed a new optical storage system that uses minute spheres arranged upon a surface-relief grating. By using dye-doped minute spheres as recording bits we can limit a sensitive region within a sphere's diameter. Using a reflection-type confocal optical system, we read out shape signals from minute spheres at high resolution.