We report the recording, readout, and erasure of a three-dimensional optical memory using the valence-state change of samarium ions to represent a bit. A photoreduction bit of 200 nm diam can be recorded with a femtosecond laser and readout clearly by detecting the fluorescence as a signal ͑excitation at 488 nm, 0.5 mW Ar ϩ laser͒. A photoreduction bit that is stable at room temperature can be erased by photo-oxidation with a cw laser ͑514.5 nm, 10 mW Ar ϩ laser͒. Since photoreduction bits can be spaced 150 nm apart in a layer within glass, a multilayer structure with several hundred layers could be used to record data. A memory capacity of as high as 1 Tbit could thus be achieved in a glass piece with dimensions of 10 mmϫ10 mmϫ1 mm.

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The optical properties of GeO(2) glass were investigated to clarify its potentiality as an optical fiber material. Glass samples were prepared by the flame hydrolysis and the melting techniques, and their Rayleigh scattering and infrared absorption properties were examined. Optical fibers composed of a pure GeO(2) core and an F-doped GeO(2) cladding were drawn to clarify the scattering loss characteristics. The Rayleigh-scattering intensity obtained from spectral loss measurements on the fibers agreed with that measured in bulk samples, and the intensity relative to that of SiO(2) glass was found to be approximately 3. These results suggest that a minimum loss of 0.15 dB/km is expected at a wavelength of 2 microm.

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