A recording medium according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a recording layer and an optical thin film. The recording layer includes a heat-sensitive color-developing composition and a photothermal conversion material. The photothermal conversion material absorbs a wavelength in an infrared region and generates heat. The optical thin film is provided on one surface of the recording layer. The optical thin film reflects the wavelength in the infrared region and transmits a wavelength in a visible region.

A nonlinear light absorption material includes a compound having a nonlinear light absorption property at a wavelength of 390 nm or more and 420 nm or less and represented by the formula (1) as a main component:

##STR00001##

in the formula (1), X is an oxygen atom.

A nonlinear light absorption material includes a compound represented by the following formula (1) as a main component:

##STR00001##

in the formula (1), R.sup.1 to R.sup.6 are each independently a hydrocarbon group.

A nonlinear light absorption material includes a compound represented by the following formula (1) as a main component:

##STR00001##

in the formula (1), R.sup.1 to R.sup.6 are each independently a hydrocarbon group.

A nonlinear light absorption material includes a compound represented by the following formula (1) as a main component:

##STR00001##

in the formula (1), R.sup.1 to R.sup.10 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a saturated hydrocarbon group, a halogenated alkyl group, an unsaturated hydrocarbon group, a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aldehyde group, an acyl group, an amide group, a nitrile group, an alkoxy group, an acyloxy group, a thiol group, an alkylthio group, a sulfonate group, an acylthio group, an alkylsulfonyl group, a sulfonamide group, a primary amino group, a secondary amino group, a tertiary amino group, or a nitro group.

A nonlinear light absorption material includes a compound represented by the following formula (1) as a main component:

##STR00001##

in the formula (1), R.sup.1 to R.sup.10 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a saturated hydrocarbon group, a halogenated alkyl group, an unsaturated hydrocarbon group, a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aldehyde group, an acyl group, an amide group, a nitrile group, an alkoxy group, an acyloxy group, a thiol group, an alkylthio group, a sulfonate group, an acylthio group, an alkylsulfonyl group, a sulfonamide group, a primary amino group, a secondary amino group, a tertiary amino group, or a nitro group.

A recording medium includes a recording layer. The recording layer includes an aliphatic polymer, and a multiphoton absorption compound containing at least one bond selected from the group consisting of a carbon-carbon double bond, a carbon-nitrogen double bond, and a carbon-carbon triple bond, and having a multiphoton absorption characteristic. When the thickness of the recording layer is 100 ?m, the transmittance of the recording layer in the thickness direction with respect to light having a wavelength of 405 nm is greater than or equal to 80%.

Storage media are provided. A substrate has an array of addressable locations thereon, each addressable location adapted to be physically associated with a collection of molecules, each collection comprising at least a first subcollection of molecules and a second subcollection of molecules. The molecules in the collection are selected from a set of unambiguously identifiable molecules, the set comprising at least a first subset of molecules and a second subset of molecules. Each molecule in the first subset is identifiable by a first physical property, and each molecule in the second subset is identifiable by a second physical property, different from the first physical property. Each molecule in the set is uniquely associated with a predetermined position in a numerical value, wherein the presence of the molecule in the collection indicates a predetermined digit at the associated position and the absence of said molecule in the collection indicates a zero at said associated position.

Described herein are novel azo-benzene type chromophores. The chromophores are useful in photochromic compositions comprising a polymer matrix and a chromophore, wherein the chromophore is a novel azo-benzene type structure. The photochromic composition is photoresponsive upon irradiation by at least one wavelength of laser light across the visible light spectrum. Photochromic devices which comprise the novel azo-benzene type chromophore compound show significantly higher photoinduced birefringence, higher diffraction efficiency, and brighter images than devices that comprise well known azo-benzene chromophores. The photochromic composition may include a liquid crystal.

Described herein are novel azo-benzene type chromophores. The chromophores are useful in photochromic compositions comprising a polymer matrix and a chromophore, wherein the chromophore is a novel azo-benzene type structure. The photochromic composition is photoresponsive upon irradiation by at least one wavelength of laser light across the visible light spectrum. Photochromic devices which comprise the novel azo-benzene type chromophore compound show significantly higher photoinduced birefringence, higher diffraction efficiency, and brighter images than devices that comprise well known azo-benzene chromophores. The photochromic composition may include a liquid crystal.