Recording by microexplosion and two-photon reading of three-dimensional optical memory in polymethylmethacrylate films

We report the recording of a three-dimensional (3D) pattern in bulk polymethyl metacrylate (PMMA) films by microexplosion induced by a tightly focused (numerical aperture of oil-immersion objective was 1.3) single laser shot. Recording was done by picosecond (ps) single-pulse irradiation at 532 nm and by femtosecond at a 400 nm wavelength. The light-induced damage threshold of PMMA was found at similar to 4 MW/cm(2) for ps damaging. Readout of the 3D pattern was carried out by the recording of the transmission and the photoluminescence (PL) of bits. We demonstrate the possibility exciting PL of the optically damaged area inside the PMMA by one- and two-photon absorption. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)03208-3].