***9760996 Trantolo This Phase I Small Business Innovation Research project aims to develop, fabricate, and test a holographic memory for mass information storage using the photodynamic protein, bacteriorhodopsin (bR) as the recording medium. The ultimate configuration is a page-oriented system with reasonable access times technology and long holographic lifetimes. Although bR has shown potential as a holographic material, its use has been limited by the short lifetime of the hologram. If the advantages of a bR system could be coupled to longer holographic lifetimes and capacities, then technology for large data storage and rapid information retrieval could be realized in a system more compact than current CD-ROM technology. In this Phase I project, the proposer will investigate the feasibility of increasing bR holographic capability by coupling bR to a liquid crystal (LC) system which offers increased birefringence in the writing of the hologram. Given that a key issue is the magnitude of the real component of the refractive index, increasing the birefringence may be a useful approach. In writing the hologram, the LC's go from isotropic to an ordered dispersion, a property which can be linked to those of bR to improve holographic lifetime. Thus, if Phase I can demonstrate an improved bR holographic, the Phase II development workscope will address dense memory storage via a compact, yet thick, material. This research addresses the development of new and innovative techniques for large data storage media with rapid retrieval capability. As such there are many applications in the commercial world. It could conceivably replace the CD-ROM currently in use with smaller size, large capacity, more rapidly accessible, bulk storage devices. The use of such devices throughout the computer environment is widespread. ***
