| Abstract
| - A new molecule has been designed, synthesized, and utilized as molecular memory for optical storage capableof write, erase, and readout without simultaneously effacing the stored informtion. This molecule is composedof a photochromic fulgimide and a fluorescent dye bonded, chemically, together to form a single molecule.Experimental spectroscopic studies are performed for each individual component and the composite molecule.The kinetics of the photochromic transformation from the open, nonpolar form to the closed, polar form arediscussed. It is also shown that the fluorescence intensity of the dye component is strongly dependent uponthe polarity of the fulgimide component. The write/nondestructive readout and erase operations and prototypesystems are presented, and a prototype optical disk is described.
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