Optical Data Storage Capabilities of Bacteriorhodopsin

Abstract

We present several measurements of the data storage capability of bacteriorhodopsin films to help establish the baseline performance of this material as a medium for holographic data storage. In particular, we examine the decrease in diffraction efficiency with the density of holograms stored at one location in the film, and we also analyze the recording schedule needed to produce a set of equal intensity holograms at a single location in the film. Using this information along with the assumptions about the performance of the optical system, we can estimate potential data storage densities in bacteriorhodopsin.