Holographic data storage using bacteriorhodopsin

Holographic data storage is promising for space applications because the wide spatial distribution of each data bit provides a natural resistance to radiation damage. One potential medium for such a system is bacteriorhodopsin (BR), a photochromic material obtained from the bacterium halobacterium salinarium. A response time on the order of a microsecond, along with its low fatigue and high spatial resolution make BR a promising medium for optical data storage. In this paper, we explore the required exposure and read intensities, along with possible data densities, for D85N/D96N BR.