Photonic material bacteriorhodopsin

For two-photon memories, a number of media types and reading mechanisms have been used (165). Generally, media comprise two photon-absorbing chromophores dissolved within a soHd polymer matrix. Suitable reversible photochromic dyes are, for example, spiropyrans. Although photochromic materials often suffer from photobleaching, as well as from instability leading to self-erasure, new materials and host environments are under development (172). Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) also has been proposed as a two-photon memory material. 

Therefore, (nonlinear) photonic crystal properties can be attributed to purple membrane patches of bacteriorhodopsin. This is an important finding, since this natural material exhibits photonic bandgap properties without careful and costly engineering, but through self-assembly. In... 

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