Blu-ray-sensitive localized surface plasmon resonance for high-density optical memory

Tunable spectrum-response is desired for efficient photo-energy transformation. Blu-ray (~405 nm) and polarization sensitive Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite films are thus fascinating in application of fast-response and high-density optical memory device. The Ag/TiO2 film has the ability of replicating hologram based on optical coherence by laser-stimulated dissolution of Ag nanoparticles (NPs). The rate and efficiency of the dissolution are supposed to be enhanced by introducing uniform and small-sized Ag NPs in TiO2 nanoporous films. However, no effective methods have been proposed to resolve this issue by now. Here, we develop a simple method of thermal-reduction to obtain high-density, space-dispersed and extremely small-sized Ag NPs in TiO2 nanoporous films pretreated with tannic acid. The film shows both high and narrow absorbance band centered at ~405 nm. Diffraction efficiency of the blu-ray holographic storage in the Ag/TiO2 film is improved by one order of magnitude compared to the traditional UV-reduced sample. Based on such properties, polarization-multiplexing holograms are able to be written at 405 nm and readout with little crosstalk. This work provides effective solutions for sensitizing localized surface plasmon resonance at near-UV region, extending the growth range of Ag NPs in the volume of TiO2, and resultantly, realizing high-density optical memory.