Magnetically actuated MEMS scanning mirror

A 4 mm by 5 mm, magnetically actuated scanning MEMS mirror is fabricated by integration of bulk silicon micromachining and magnetic thin film head techniques. Large mirror deflection angles (0 - 70 degree(s)) are achieved. The MEMS mirror is demonstrated as a laser beam scanner in both conventional and compact holographic data storage system configurations

Frequency-Domain Streak Camera And Tomography For Ultrafast Imaging Of Evolving And Channeled Plasma Accelerator Structures

We demonstrate a prototype Frequency Domain Streak Camera (FDSC) that can capture the picosecond time evolution of the plasma accelerator structure in a single shot. In our prototype Frequency-Domain Streak Camera, a probe pulse propagates obliquely to a sub-picosecond pump pulse that creates an evolving nonlinear index >bubble> in fused silica glass, supplementing a conventional Frequency Domain Holographic (FDH) probe-reference pair that co-propagates with the >bubble>. Frequency Domain Tomography (FDT) generalizes Frequency-Domain Streak Camera by probing the >bubble> from multiple angles and reconstructing its morphology and evolution using algorithms similar to those used in medical CAT scans. Multiplexing methods (Temporal Multiplexing and Angular Multiplexing) improve data storage and processing capability, demonstrating a compact Frequency Domain Tomography system with a single spectrometer.Physic

Parallel Optical Random Access Memory (PORAM)

It is shown that the need to minimize component count, power and size, and to maximize packing density require a parallel optical random access memory to be designed in a two-level hierarchy: a modular level and an interconnect level. Three module designs are proposed, in the order of research and development requirements. The first uses state-of-the-art components, including individually addressed laser diode arrays, acousto-optic (AO) deflectors and magneto-optic (MO) storage medium, aimed at moderate size, moderate power, and high packing density. The next design level uses an electron-trapping (ET) medium to reduce optical power requirements. The third design uses a beam-steering grating surface emitter (GSE) array to reduce size further and minimize the number of components

Holographic memory with localized recording

We experimentally demonstrate and characterize a memory module that features selective page erasure and readout persistence using the localized recording method in doubly doped LiNbO3. Pages of information can be selectively erased without partially erasing the whole memory. Data pages can be written over erased pages multiple times. Information is read millions of times before refreshing is required. We quantify the optical quality of the holograms by measuring their signal-to-noise ratio for a memory size up to 100 holograms. A compact phase-conjugate readout architecture is also presented and experimentally demonstrated

Optical memory: introduction by the feature editors

The contributions to this feature issue represent a wide range of topics in optical memory

Pixel size limit in holographic memories

The bandwidth of holographic recording in LiNbO3 (Fe doped) in the 90° geometry is studied theoretically and experimentally. The wide holographic bandwidth of LiNbO3 makes it possible to record submicrometer pixels and reconstruct them by phase conjugation in a holographic memory system. This approach reduces the system cost and increases the system storage density. We demonstrate the recording and the phase-conjugate reconstruction of various pixel sizes down to 1 μm × 1 μm . The signal–noise ratio and the bit-error rate are examined

Folded shift multiplexing

Shift multiplexing is a holographic recording method that uses a spherical reference wave. We extend the principle to a thin slab of holographic material that acts as a waveguide. Total internal reflection folds the reference spherical beam in one dimension. We demonstrate that the shift selectivity with the folded spherical beam is independent of the slab thickness but depends instead on the numerical aperture of the coupled spherical wave. A shift selectivity of 0.5 µm has been achieved with a 1-mm-thick LiNbO3 crystal and 50 high-definition data pages are recorded with this method

System Measure for Persistence in Holographic Recording and Application to Singly-Doped and Doubly-Doped Lithium Niobate

We define a measure for persistence in holographic recording. Using this measure and the known measures for dynamic range and sensitivity, we compare the performance of singly-doped and doubly-doped LiNbO3 crystals. We show that the range of performance that can be obtained using doubly-doped crystals is much larger than that obtained using singly-doped ones