Understanding the phase-change mechanism of rewritable optical media

Nature Materials
Alexander V KolobovTomoya Uruga

Abstract

Present-day multimedia strongly rely on rewritable phase-change optical memories. We demonstrate that, different from the current consensus, Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5), the material of choice in DVD-RAM, does not possess the rocksalt structure but more likely consists of well-defined rigid building blocks that are randomly oriented in space consistent with cubic symmetry. Laser-induced amorphization results in drastic shortening of covalent bonds and a decrease in the mean-square relative displacement, demonstrating a substantial increase in the degree of short-range ordering, in sharp contrast to the amorphization of typical covalently bonded solids. This novel order-disorder transition is due to an umbrella-flip of Ge atoms from an octahedral position into a tetrahedral position without rupture of strong covalent bonds. It is this unique two-state nature of the transformation that ensures fast DVD performance and repeatable switching over ten million cycles.

References

Oct 15, 1987·Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter·K M Rabe, J D Joannopoulos
Oct 15, 1994·Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter·M WakagiA Nakano
Nov 22, 1993·Physical Review Letters·A FrenkelM Newville
Nov 14, 2003·Nature·Sven MöllerStephen R Forrest

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Oct 12, 2013·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·Ilja GrishinOleg V Kolosov
Jul 25, 2012·Nano Letters·Chia-Wei Hsu, Li-Jen Chou
Jan 18, 2013·Nano Letters·Chan Su JungJae-Pyoung Ahn
Jun 24, 2010·Nature Chemistry·Shin-Ichi OhkoshiHiroko Tokoro
Jun 13, 2013·Nature Communications·Rui GuoJunling Wang
Nov 18, 2008·Nature Materials·Dominic LencerMatthias Wuttig
Jan 18, 2011·Nature Materials·Hirohiko IchikawaShin-ya Koshihara
Jul 5, 2011·Nature Nanotechnology·R E SimpsonJ Tominaga
Aug 2, 2007·Chemical Communications : Chem Comm·Yongqiang DongBen Zhong Tang
Jun 25, 2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Dmitry ShakhvorostovMartin H Müser
Jun 15, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Zhimei SunRajeev Ahuja
Apr 18, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·M XuE Ma
Jul 8, 2008·The Journal of Chemical Physics·T KavetskyyW Hoyer
Aug 30, 2013·Nano Letters·Cristina E GiuscaS Ravi P Silva
Oct 7, 2014·Scientific Reports·Wei ZhangRiccardo Mazzarello
Sep 2, 2015·Scientific Reports·A V KolobovJ Tominaga
Jul 30, 2015·Scientific Reports·Xiaoming Yu, John Robertson
Apr 9, 2015·Nanoscale Research Letters·Kostiantyn V Shportko, Eugen F Venger
Apr 9, 2015·Nanoscale Research Letters·Sannian SongSonglin Feng
Feb 28, 2014·Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry : RCM·Jan HouškaJosef Havel
Sep 2, 2015·Nano Letters·Chunlin ChenJohannes Georg Bednorz
Sep 10, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Desmond LokeStephen R Elliott
May 20, 2016·Scientific Reports·Saikat MukhopadhyayDavid J Singh
Jun 9, 2016·Scientific Reports·Mathias SchumacherRiccardo Mazzarello
May 4, 2016·Scientific Reports·Bin ZhangXiao-Dong Han
Sep 30, 2016·Scientific Reports·Jianxin ShenYoung Sun
Feb 22, 2017·Chemphyschem : a European Journal of Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry·Kelin R TascaSteven L Johnson
May 24, 2017·The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters·Wen-Xiong SongLi-Min Liu
Jun 20, 2017·Nanoscale·Adrian PodpirkaLaura B Ruppalt

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter : an Institute of Physics Journal
G C SossoM Bernasconi
Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter
K ShimakawaS R Elliott
The Journal of Chemical Physics
Byeongchan Lee, Geun Woo Lee
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved