1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Optical recording

The process of recording signals on a medium through the use of

light, so that the signals may be reproduced at a subsequent time.
Photographic film has been widely used as the medium, but in the
late 1970s development of another medium, the so-called optical disk, was
undertaken. The introduction of the laser as a light source greatly improves
the quality of reproduced signals. Optical data storage involves placing
information in a medium so that, when a light beam scans the medium, the
reflected light can be used to recover the information. There are many forms
of optical storage media like CD, DVD, Blu Ray Disc etc, and many types of
systems are used to scan data.

1.2 Existing Technology

At present there exist so many different medium for performing

optical recording. They are

1. Floppy Disc
2. Compact Disc (CD)
3. Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)
4. Blu Ray Disc
5. Holographic Versatile Disc

In the case of CDs, DVDs and Blu Ray discs data is present on the
surface of the medium in the form of bumps and grooves which can be read
from or written into by the use of lasers. But in the case of Holographic
versatile disc, memory will go beneath the surface and use the volume of the
recording medium for storage, instead of only the surface area. But the quest
for larger storage memory resulted in the invention of Five dimensional
optical recoding technique which will give rise to a new range of optical
disc.

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 2. FIVE DIMENSIONAL OPTICAL RECORDING

A team of researchers consisting of Dr.Min Gu, Mr. Peter Zijlstra

and Prof. James Won at the Swinburne University of Technology in
Hawthorn, Australia have tested a new type of five-dimensional optical
storage medium that they estimated might hold up to 2,000 times more data
than a conventional DVD.

The tinkering trio resorted to gold nanorods to coat the surface of an

optical disc. Nanomaterials, it seems, are photo reactive and adjust their
shape according to different colors of the visible spectrum, which were
illuminated by lasers in this case. The team then followed up by applying
multiple polarizations to the same physical disc space, effectively writing the
data at different angles in the same place.

This means that data - usually written in a typical three dimensional

(x, y, z) fashion - acquired two more dimensions. So far this has already
resulted in an optical disc sample capable of storing 1.6TB of data, but as
development continues, researchers expect storage capacity to reach a
whopping 10TB. Although wavelength, polarization and spatial dimensions
have all been exploited for multiplexing, these approaches have never been
integrated into a single technique which could ultimately increase the
information capacity by orders of magnitude.

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 2.1 Dimensions Of Data Storage

A parameter by which a single bit of data written on or read from an

optical recording device can be identified is known as a dimension of data
storage. In the case of CDs and DVDs human s have used their knowledge
of two dimensional optical recording technique to store data on a plane
surface. With the invention multi layered optical storage devices like dual
layer DVDs and Holographic versatile disc we have introduced a third
spatial dimension. But the need for greater storage volume has forced us to
introduce more dimensions of data storage into the field of optical recording.

The different dimensions of data storage used in five dimensional

optical recording are:

 Three Spatial Dimensions : this include the three spatial

dimensions x, y and z. Three dimensional optical recording technique is
currently being used in the many optical storage devices.
 Color dimension : Three-dimensional technology uses a single
color laser beam or light wavelength to read the data in the form of bits on
a platter. By using nanotechnology in the form of small gold rods that
reflect light, the researchers were able to create a spectral or color
dimension. To create the color dimension, the researchers inserted gold
nanorods onto a disc's surface. Because nanoparticles react to light
according to their shape, this allowed the researchers to record
information in a range of different color wavelengths on the same physical
disc location.
 Polarization dimension : The polarization dimension was
created when researchers projected light waves onto the disc and the
direction of the electric field contained in the light waves aligned with the
gold nanorods. That allowed the researchers to record different layers of
information at different angles. The researchers were able to record data at
two different polarization of light. One at 0° polarization and other at 90°
polarization.

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 3. DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF STORAGE DEVICE

3.1 Basic Design

The design of an optical device that incorporates five dimensional

optical recording technique is quite similar to digital versatile disc except in
the use of gold nanorods. They dispersed gold nanorods of three different
sizes in a polymer solution, coated thin glass films with the solution, and
then used glue to assemble a stack of three of the films, one on top of the
other.

The substrate used is mainly made of polycarbonate. A substrate

provides mechanical support for the storage layer. The substrate also
provides a measure of contamination protection, because light is focused
through the substrate and into the recording layer. Dust particles on the
surface of the substrate only partially obscure the focused beam, so enough
light can penetrate for adequate signal recovery.

a : The layer gold nanorods in a polymer solution and coated on a thin

layer of glass

b : The spacer between two recording layers

c : The polycarbonate substrate on which the whole system is mounted

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 so as to get mechanical strength to the disc

3.2 Gold Nanorods

With the advancement in nanotechnology scientists are now able to

fabricate nanoparticles of different metals in various shapes and sizes like
rods, spheres, tubes etc. During the research and development phase of five
dimensional optical recording the scientists opted for nanoparticles of gold
in the shape of rods called gold nanorods as a recording medium. Gold
nanorods of different sizes are used in different recording layers. Aqueous
solutions containing a high yield of suspended gold nanorods have been
successfully synthesized via an electrochemical method.

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The above picture show the magnified image of gold nanorods under
microscope.

It is the unique properties of gold nanorods under light that made the
researchers use in five dimensional optical recording. Metallic
nanoparticles/rods are at the heart of nanotechnology revolution, due to their
extraordinary optical and electronic properties caused by quantum
confinement effects. The most important property of this new class of
materials is that they are spectrum and polarization sensitive materials which
can be a full benefit to encoding in those dimensions, providing
multidimensionality.

Gold nanoparticles exhibit strong optical extinction at visible and

near-infrared wavelengths which can be tuned by adjusting the size. With
recent advances in their high-yield synthesis, stabilization, functionalization
and bioconjugation, gold nanoparticles are an increasingly applied
nanomaterial. Gold nanorods are particularly suitable for photonic,
optoelectronic, and biotechnological applications in the near-infrared
spectral region because of the strong dependence of their longitudinal
plasmon wavelength on the aspect ratio. One additional advantage of gold
nanorods is that light emitted from or scattered off gold nanorods is strongly
polarized along the rod length axis, making them an ideal orientation probe.

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3.3 SPR Of Gold Nanorods

Surface plasmon resonance emerges from the interaction between an

electromagnetic wave and the conduction electrons in a metal. Under the
irradiation of light, the conduction electrons in a gold nanostructure are
given by the electric field to collectively oscillate at resonance frequency
relative to the lattice of positive ions. At this resonant frequency, the
incident light interacts with the nanostructure. Some of the photons will be
released with the same frequency in all directions and this process is known
as scattering. At the same time, some of the photons will be converted into
phonons or vibrations of the lattice and this process is referred to as
absorption. In general, the SP resonance peak of a gold nanostructure should
include both scattering and absorption components.

The frequency and bandwidth of the SP resonance depends on the size

and shape of the nanoparticles as well as their dielectric constant and that of
the surrounding medium. For nanorods, the SP resonance splits into two
bands: parallel (longitudinal) and perpendicular (transverse) to the long axis
of the nanorod. As the aspect ratio of the rod increases, the energy separation
between the two SP resonance frequencies increases, the longitudinal SP
resonance being lower in energy than the transverse SP resonance.

So by explaining both parallel and perpendicular surface plasmon

resonance of gold we can explain the involvement of the two new
dimensions of data storage that is colored light and polarization.

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3.4 Effect Of Colored Light

The surface plasmon resonance of gold nanorods mainly depends on

wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation that is incident on it. The
absorbance of the light which is converted into lattice vibrations is different
for different light.

The amount by which the light energy that absorbed or reflected by

the gold nanorods mainly depends on its size. That is the reason why a five
dimensional optical recording device uses gold nanorods of different sizes
(mainly three different sizes are used) to record data. Each layer of recording
medium has gold nanorods of a particular size so that they will resonate only
when a particular wavelength of light.

Mainly red, green and blue colored lights are used in the recording
device which is completely different from the traditional drives that uses
laser of a fixed wavelength. The size of gold nanorods required for each
coloured light is experimently decided by the scientists and they form the
different layers of the recording device

(A) (B) (C)

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The above figure shows the far-field images of SPR modes of the same
single gold nano-rod for various incident laser light at (A) red (658 nm), (B)
green (532 nm), and (C) blue (488 nm) respectively.

3.4 Effect Of Polarized Light

Since light is an electromagnetic wave it consists of electric and

magnetic field components which oscillate in phase perpendicular to each
other and perpendicular to the direction of energy propagation. Polarization
is a property of waves that describes the orientation of their oscillations. The
polarization of light is described by specifying the direction of the wave's
electric field. When light travels in free space, in most cases it propagates as
a transverse wave, the polarization is perpendicular to the wave's direction of
travel. In this case, the electric field may be oriented in a single direction
(linear polarization), or it may rotate as the wave travels (circular or
elliptical polarization).

The polarization dimension was created when researchers projected

light waves onto the disc and the direction of the electric field contained in
the light waves aligned with the gold nanorods. That allowed the researchers
to record different layers of information at different angles.

The polarization can be rotated 360 degrees. Scientists wereable to

record at zero degree polarization. Then on top of that, were able to record
another layer of information at 90 degrees polarization, without them
interfering w ith each other.

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 The above figure shows how we can record different data in a same
space using laser giving out light of same wavelength but different
polarization. If the gold nanorods are aligned in the direction of polarization
of the light they will get heated up and melt into spheres while other
nanorods in the neighborhood may remain in the original shape depending
on its relative positioning with the incoming light. Thus we can perform
recording techniques. The figure given below illustrates that.

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 4. READING AND WRITING

4.1 Recoding

To record on the disc, the researchers focused a tunable laser onto

750-nanometer-wide spots on a gold nanorod layer. The tiny rods have a
tendency to collapse into spheres when they absorb light and are heated to a
certain threshold. But the rods are selective. Nanorods of a specific size
absorb a specific wavelength and then only if they are aligned with the
direction of the light’s polarization. Under those conditions, the energy
waves traveling along the rods’ surface—called surface plasmons—resonate
with the light’s frequency. So when the laser beam is focused on the bits,
only some of the rods turn into spheres. Light impinging with a certain color
and polarization will only target a subpopulation of gold nanorods, leaving
the remaining rods for the next recording.
That means each bit area can hold multiple bits. The scientist tested
with three different wavelengths and two different polarizations. To
demonstrate the technology, they created six patterns on each of the three
nanorod layers by focusing light on a grid of 75-by-75 bits. Reasearchers
says they could have fit 1.1 terabits per cubic centimeter on the disk. The
volume of their disk is about 12 cm3, which gives a total data capacity of 1.6
terabytes.

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4.2 Reading

After writing the gold nanorods permanently changes its from rods to
spheres. Reading the bits involves focusing light from the same laser on the
bits but with much lower energy. The nanorods shine when they absorb the
dim light, which must be of the same wavelength and polarization that could
change their shape during recording.
Once written its impossible to perform a re-writing procedure since its
not possible for the gold nanorods to change shape from spheres back to
rods.

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 5. FIELDS OF APPLICATION

Even though the five dimensional optical recording system is still not
available in the commercial scale, the scientists predict its applicability in
wide range of arenas. A few of them are :

1. Medical Field
Mainly used to store information large data related to magnetic
resonance imaging scans (MRI) of a patients.

2. Military and Security Arenas

Provides a light and compact way of storing huge data corresponding
to research and development department of the military where large
magnetic storage devices are use.

3. Entertainment sector
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 Act as a large storage device to store super high definition or ultra
high definition videos.

4. Space research
Used to store high resolution images taken by space telescopes and it
provides a single point of data storage for the entire data produced by
space satellites. Its small size and light weight may also be an added
advantage.

5. Financial Sector
Can be used as a backup storage of data produced in large financial
institutions like stock exchanges where the loss of data is very
problematic.

6. ADVANTAGES

1. Large storage capacity

A disc that developed on the principle of five dimensional optical recording
is to said to have a storage capacity of 1.5 tera byte.

2. Light and Compact

A five dimensional optical recording device will have dimensions
comparable to a normal DVD, hence making light and compatible.

3. Data security
It provides a safe and secure method of data storage.

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4. Compatible with existing technology
By reducing the thickness of the spacer we can reduce the thickness of the
recording device thereby making it compatible with existing technology.

5.Can be manufactured on a large scale

Once the drive for performing the reading and writing procedure is
developed the recording disc can be manufactured on a large scale according
to the drive specifications.

7. DISADVANTAGES

1. Slow writing speed

Since the data density is high the disc needs a high data transfer rate
hence writing to the disc a slow process. But the writing speed can be
made comparable with writing speed of DVD slightly reducing the data
density without affecting the storage capacity of the disc by a great deal.

2. Impracticality of using Titanium Sapphire Femtosecond Laser

Currently the researches where carried by a large titanium sapphire
femtosecond laser which is very costly process. But the developers are
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 planning to develop a cheaper and smaller diode laser which is
compatible with the drive.

3. Re-writability
Since the Gold nanorods are altered from its natural shape during writing
from rods to spheres re writabillty is not possible.

8. FUTURE SCOPE AND ENHANCEMENT

The Australian researchers are optimistic about the technology. They say
that data recording could be done with a cheaper laser diode and that high-
speed recording and readout should be possible. The research, in the
meantime, has been looked upon up by the storage giant Samsung, which
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now seems destined to manufacture the media that records every bit of
stored data on the planet. The company says that this technology should be
ready within the next five to ten years. The researchers are planning to
developing discs having capacity ranging upto 10 TB by further increasing
the layers of recording medium.

9. CONCLUSION

By the introduction of two more dimensions to the existing

technology of three dimensional optical recording , that is color dimension
and polarization we can increase the data density to attain a storage capacity
of 1.5 TB in a volume of 12 cm ³. Thus five dimensional optical recording is
proving to be a promising technology for the future in the field of bulk data
storage. The disc developed according to this technology will be available in
the market within the next 5 to 10 years.

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 10. BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Nanophotonics Down Under 2009 Devices and Applications ,

www.swinburne.edu.au

[2] Five dimensional optical recording

www.spectrum.ieee.org

[3] Nanotech DVD

www.macworld.com

[4] Five dimensional optical recording (journal)

www.nature.com

[5] Five dimensional optical recording

Technology Review(digital magazine)
Published by MIT
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www.technologyreview.com

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