This is an overview of recording principles, materials aspects, and applications of rewritable optical storage. Elements of data recording, including mark formation, eraseability, direct overwrite strategies, data quality and data stability are explained and extensively discussed. Throughout the book, a mark formation model is described and used to back-up measurement results and support the discussed applications. High-speed and dual-layer recording are analyzed in depth, with proposals to achieve higher performance.

This book presents principles and applications to expand the storage space from 2-D to 3-D and even multi-D, including gray scale, color (light with different wavelength), polarization and coherence of light. These actualize the improvements of density, capacity and data transfer rate for optical data storage. Moreover, the applied implementation technologies to make mass data storage devices are described systematically. Some new mediums, which have linear absorption characteristics for different wavelength and intensity to light with high sensitivity, are introduced for multi-wavelength and multi-level optical storage. This book can serve as a useful reference for researchers, engineers, graduate and undergraduate students in material science, information science and optics.

Presents recent technical information and gives an overview of progress in optical memory, neural networks and fractals from the viewpoint of optical information processing. The work introduces holographic optical disks and holographic storage in photorefractive crystal fibre, discusses the optical implementation of neural networks, explains the use of neurochips as artificial retinas, and more.

This book focuses on photoswitches. The objective of the book is to introduce researchers and graduate course students who are interested in "photon-working switches" not only to the fundamentals but also to the latest research being carried out in this field. Light can reach a target substrate without any physical contact to deliver energy. The energy can induce changes in the structure of the molecules included in the substrate so that its properties and functions are made switchable by light irradiation. When a substrate is able to revert to its original state, this system can be regarded as a "photon-working switch". The terms "photon-working switches" or "photoswitches" are almost equivalent in meaning to "photochromism"; however, they focus on the "switching of functions" of chemical species rather than their "reversible transformation". Most of the authors of this volume are members of PHENICS, an international research group on organic molecular photoswitches composed of research institutions from France, Japan, Russia, China and Germany. Since its inception in 2008, PHENICS has promoted active research to develop the field. This book commemorates the group's eighth year of collaborative research.

The most comprehensive book on state-of-the-art smart card technology available Updated with new international standards and specifications, this essential fourth edition now covers all aspects of smart card in a completely revised structure. Its enlarged coverage now includes smart cards for passports and ID cards, health care cards, smart cards for public transport, and Java Card 3.0. New sub-chapters cover near field communication (NFC), single wire protocol (SWP), and multi megabyte smart cards (microcontroller with NAND-Flash). There are also extensive revisions to chapters on smart card production, the security of smart cards (including coverage of new attacks and protection methods), and contactless card data transmission (ISO/IEC 10536, ISO/IEC 14443, ISO/IEC 15693). This edition also features: additional views to the future development of smart cards, such as USB, MMU, SWP, HCI, Flash memory and their usage; new internet technologies for smart cards; smart card web server, HTTP-Protocol, TCP/IP, SSL/TSL; integration of the new flash-based microcontrollers for smart cards (until now the usual ROM-based microcontrollers), and; a completely revised glossary with explanations of all important smart card subjects (600 glossary terms). Smart Card Handbook is firmly established as the definitive reference to every aspect of smart card technology, proving an invaluable resource for security systems development engineers. Professionals and microchip designers working in the smart card industry will continue to benefit from this essential guide. This book is also ideal for newcomers to the field. The Fraunhofer Smart Card Award was presented to the authors for the Smart Card Handbook, Third Edition in 2008.

"Furnishes the necessary background information, methods of characterization, and applications of optic and photonic systems based on polymers. Provides detailed tutorial chapters that offer in-depth explanations of optic and photonic fundamentals and synthesis techniques."