Phototriggered color modulation of perovskite nanoparticles for high density optical data storage

Photoresponsive luminescent materials (PLMs) have attracted much attention in various optoelectronic fields, especially in optical data storage. Multi-wavelength (N-wavelength) based optical storage is a promising approach to increase the data storage density, but its current application is limited by the fact that most PLMs have only two-wavelength emissive states after certain light excitation, which requires simultaneous use of several PLMs and different irradiation light sources. In this study, we discovered that the wavelength of perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) in the presence of dichloromethane (DCM) could be continuously and precisely tuned over a very wide color range (from red to violet) with the help of a single UV light source. The changes in crystal structures and optical properties of PNCs during UV irradiation were investigated in detail; the effects of capping ligand, solvent, UV irradiation power and time were evaluated, and the mechanism of UV triggered PNC fluorescence change was studied and is discussed. Finally, the applicability of PNCs/DCM film in N-wavelength-based high-density optical data storage was verified.

The perovskite nanocrystals-dichloromethane (PNCs-DCM) with tunable fluorescent color under UV light are a new kind of photoresponsive luminescent materials (PLMs), which are qualified to apply in optical data storage.