title: Photocurrent switching method based on photoisomerization of diarylethene layer for nondestructive readout of photochromic optical memory.
abstract: We report on photocurrent switching based on photoisomerization for the nondestructive readout of photochromic optical memory. The photoisomerization of a diarylethene (DAE) memory layer switched the photocurrent generated in a light-absorbing phthalocyanine layer upon irradiation of a laser light. This switching is based on the ionization potential change of the DAE molecules. Switching characteristics of the photocurrent were investigated for the laser light with a wavelength of 410 nm, 630 nm, or 780 nm. Excellent on-off ratios of the photocurrent were achieved by irradiation at 630 nm and 780 nm. When the pulsed laser light with a wavelength of 780 nm was repeatedly irradiated to the colored and uncolored memory devices, no change of the photocurrent signal levels was observed, even after 8 x 10(5) cycles, indicating a successful demonstration of the nondestructive readout.
authors.affiliation: Department of Arts and Sciences, Faculty of Education, Osaka Kyoiku University, Asahigaoka 4-698-1, Kashiwara, Osaka, 582-8582, Japan. tsujioka@cc.osaka-kyoiku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsujioka
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Natsume