Turning on Fluorescence by Two-Photon Excitation and Polymerization: Toward a 3-D Optical Memory Device
Daniel J. Dyer, Brian H. Cumpston, Dianne McCord-Maughon, S. Thayumanavan, Stephen Barlow, Joseph W. Perry and Set R. Marder
New materials have been synthesized composed of a 4,4′-bis(dialkylamino) stilbene two-photon chromophore covalently attached to one or two methacrylate ester groups. The fluorescence observed in the nonfunctionalized chromophore is significantly quenched in the methacry late-functionalized species, but is partially restored on polymerization of the methacrylate groups induced by either one- or two-photon excitation. We have demonstrated the potential utility of these materials in highdensity data storage applications by writing fluorescent bits in a composite containing these materials using two-photon excitation, the contrast between the fluorescence from the bits and the background being ca. 3.