Photochromic organic media: State-of-the-art and future

A review of the latest advances in the field of investigations and applications of photochromic organic systems with practically acceptable properties only is presented. The analysis of the attained results shows that the development of media for the most - used photochromic light modulators is completed essentially. The development of photochromic recording media for working optical memory remains unresolved. The prospects for the development and application of new organic photochromic systems for these applications are closely associated with advances in solution of the problem of fatigue resistance under prolonged irradiation for modulators and optical memory and long storage in darkness for optical memory. Among the new directions efforts to-develop photochromic compounds with polyfunctional properties are noteworthy.