Patent ID: 8182967

Claim:
A method, comprising: (a) providing an optical data storage medium comprising: a polymer matrix other than those functionalized with cinnamates, a reactant capable of undergoing a change upon triplet excitation, thereby causing a refractive index change, wherein the reactant comprises a cinnamate, a cinnamate derivative, a cinnamamide derivative, or combinations of these, and a non-linear sensitizer capable of absorbing actinic radiation to cause upper triplet energy transfer to said reactant; and (b) bit-wise recording a microhologram in said optical data storage medium by irradiating the optical data storage medium with an interference pattern to cause upper triplet energy transfer from the non-linear sensitizer to the reactant, thereby causing the refractive index change, and wherein the refractive index change of the medium is at least about 0.005.