The use of Langmuir–Blodgett films as recording layers in optical information carriers

The review deals with methods of recording and reproducing information for external computer memory devices in which Langmuir–Blodgett films are used as carriers and also with the physical effects occurring in these films, which may be used in the future for the creation of new superdense optical information carriers. Attention has concentrated on the photochromic reactions in the J-aggregates of Langmuir–Blodgett films, which permit the reversible recording of information. In many cases the preparation of the carrier and the technical characteristics of the corresponding memory devices are described in detail. The review considers the original studies and patents on this topic which have been published during the last 15 years.
The bibliography includes 55 references.