Functionalisation of gold nanorods and its application to optical data storage

In this report we show the application of silica coated gold nanorods to optical data storage. We show controlled growth of a thick silica shell onto gold nanorods. The coated nanorods are transferred into a PVA matrix and data patterns are recorded. A silica layer on the nanorods dissipates the heat and the matrix does not melt, allowing reliable data storage.