1Collège de France et Observatoire de Haute-Provence (CNRS) 04870 Saint-Michel l'Observatoire, France e-mail: labeyrie@obs-hp.fr 2Thomson-CSF, Laboratoire Central de Recherche, 91404 Orsay, France
Tests of optical data storage in arrays of micro-fibers confirm the applicability of the principle and its potential for higher storage densities than achievable with conventional holographic data storage. Arrays of single-mode micro-fibers, spaced 0.78 micron apart and 60 micron long, were generated in a photopolymer film with four laser beams, and simultaneously inscribed with Lippmann-Bragg fringes using a counter-propagating beam. Following the curing steps, spectra of white light retro-reflected from a single fiber exhibit the reconstructed spectral lines of the multi-wavelength laser used in the recording step. 1011 bits/cm2, or 1013 bits on a compact disc, appear recordable.