An instant-on nothing-to-download soundscaping device that provides natural, atonal sounds such as the rolling surf of the ocean, running streams, gurgling brooks, rain, thunder, wind, crowd sounds, et al is provided.

An optical data-storage system comprises a laser, an imaging optic, and associated computer logic. The laser is configured to emit a pulsed wavefront having uniform phase and polarization. The imaging optic is configured to modulate the phase and polarization of different portions of the wavefront by different amounts, and to diffract light from the different portions to a substrate with writeable optical properties. The logic is configured to receive data and to control modulation of the phase and polarization such that the light diffracted from the imaging optic writes the data to the substrate.

A super-resolution system for nano-patterning is disclosed, comprising an exposure head that enables a super-resolution patterning exposures. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using electromagnetic radiation and plasmonic structures, and in some embodiments, plasmonic structures having specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the bow-tie and C-aperture are examples. These apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A writing head comprising one or more of these apertures is held in close proximity to a medium for patterning. In some embodiments, a data processing system is provided to re-interpret the data to be patterned into a set of modulation signals used to drive the multiple individual channels and multiple exposures, and a detection means is provided to verify the data as written.

A super-resolution system for nano-patterning is disclosed, comprising an exposure head that enables a super-resolution patterning exposures. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using electromagnetic radiation and plasmonic structures, and in some embodiments, plasmonic structures having specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the bow-tie and C-aperture are examples. These apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A writing head comprising one or more of these apertures is held in close proximity to a medium for patterning. In some embodiments, a data processing system is provided to re-interpret the data to be patterned into a set of modulation signals used to drive the multiple individual channels and multiple exposures, and a detection means is provided to verify the data as written.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a reconfigurable interference device comprising a phase change structure. The phase change structure comprises a solid-state phase change material having a first phase state and a second phase state dependent on temperature. A first energy source is configured to supply an initialization energy to initialize a plurality of domains having the first phase state and a second energy source is configured to supply an electrical current to the structure to position the plurality of domains of the first phase state within the phase change structure. A control unit is configured to control the first and the second energy source and to create a periodic interference pattern comprising a plurality of domains of the first phase state and a plurality of domains of the second phase state in an alternating pattern.

Provided is a technique that reduces the possibility that data will not be recorded due to a shortage of test areas. A test area, in which test writing for laser power control is performed, is set in each recording layer of an optical recording medium having a plurality of recording layers, and information indicating a position of the set test area is recorded on the optical recording medium. Furthermore, recorded information of an optical recording medium is reproduced, the optical recording medium including a plurality of recording layers and in which a test area, in which test writing for laser power control is performed, is set in each of the recording layers and information indicating a position of the set test area is recorded; and the information indicating the position of the test area is acquired.

A reproducing device (100) includes (i) an optical pickup (6) for irradiating, with reproduction light, an optical disk (1) which is a super-resolution medium, (ii) an RF signal processing circuit (9) for converting, into a reproduction signal, light which reflected off optical disk (1), (iii) an i-MLSE detecting section (141) for evaluating quality of the reproduction signal, and (iv) a spherical aberration correcting section (142) for correcting a spherical aberration by using a result of evaluation of the quality of the reproduction signal.

An super-resolution system for nano-patterning is disclosed, comprising an exposure head that enables a super-resolution patterning exposures. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using electromagnetic radiation directed onto a medium using plasmonic structures, and in particular using plasmonic structures using specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the bow-tie and C-aperture are examples. These specially designed apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A printing head comprising an array of these apertures is held in close proximity to a medium for patterning. In some embodiments, a data processing system is provided to re-interpret the data to be patterned into a set of modulation signals used to drive the multiple individual channels and multiple exposures.

An super-resolution system for nano-patterning is disclosed, comprising an exposure head that enables a super-resolution patterning exposures. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using electromagnetic radiation directed onto a medium using plasmonic structures, and in particular using plasmonic structures using specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the bow-tie and C-aperture are examples. These specially designed apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A printing head comprising an array of these apertures is held in close proximity to a medium for patterning. In some embodiments, a data processing system is provided to re-interpret the data to be patterned into a set of modulation signals used to drive the multiple individual channels and multiple exposures.

Devices having an air bearing surface (ABS), the devices including a write pole; a near field transducer (NFT) that includes a peg and a disc, wherein the peg is at the ABS of the device; a heat sink positioned adjacent the disc of the NFT; a dielectric gap positioned adjacent the peg of the NFT at the ABS of the device; and a conformal diffusion barrier layer positioned between the write pole and the dielectric gap, the disc, and the heat sink, wherein the conformal diffusion barrier layer forms at least one angle that is not greater than 135.