An optical storage system includes an optical head configured to split a light beam into a higher power main beam and at least one lower power side beam. The optical storage system also includes a controller configured to alter an optical medium, via modulation of the higher power main beam according to a writing strategy waveform that defines at least n pulses for every n bits of data to be written to the medium, while processing a first signal resulting from the at least one lower power side beam being reflected from the medium and a second signal indicative of the writing strategy waveform to remove noise from the first signal caused by the higher power main beam to generate output indicative of the data directly after writing.

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 method for reading and writing with holographic storage system includes (a) providing a reference light and a signal light; (b) transferring the reference light and the signal light to an optical storage medium to record an interference grating; (c) changing the reference light and the signal light and repeating the step of providing another changed reference light and another changed signal light to step (b), in which the reference light and the interference grating are one-to-one correspondence; (d) moving the optical storage medium and repeating steps (a) to (c); (e) providing a reading light which includes the reference lights to the optical storage medium to simultaneously read the interference gratings to form an interference result, any one of the reference lights cannot read out the interference gratings recorded by the other reference lights; and (f) moving the optical storage medium and repeating step (e).

A method for reading and writing with holographic storage system includes (a) providing a reference light and a signal light; (b) transferring the reference light and the signal light to an optical storage medium to record an interference grating; (c) changing the reference light and the signal light and repeating the step of providing another changed reference light and another changed signal light to step (b), in which the reference light and the interference grating are one-to-one correspondence; (d) moving the optical storage medium and repeating steps (a) to (c); (e) providing a reading light which includes the reference lights to the optical storage medium to simultaneously read the interference gratings to form an interference result, any one of the reference lights cannot read out the interference gratings recorded by the other reference lights; and (f) moving the optical storage medium and repeating step (e).

An optical data-recording system comprises a laser, a dynamic digital hologram, an electronic controller, and a scanning mechanism. The dynamic digital hologram includes a plurality of holographic zones, and is configured to direct the irradiance received thereon to an optical recording medium. The electronic controller is operatively coupled to the dynamic digital hologram and configured to control the irradiance directed from each of the holographic zones. The scanning mechanism is configured to change a relative positioning of the laser versus the dynamic digital hologram so that each of the holographic zones is irradiated in sequence by the laser.

An optical storage system includes an optical head configured to split a light beam into a higher power main beam and at least one lower power side beam. The optical storage system also includes a controller configured to alter an optical medium, via modulation of the higher power main beam according to a writing strategy waveform that defines at least n pulses for every n bits of data to be written to the medium, while processing a first signal resulting from the at least one lower power side beam being reflected from the medium and a second signal indicative of the writing strategy waveform to remove noise from the first signal caused by the higher power main beam to generate output indicative of the data directly after writing.

An optical storage system includes an optical head configured to split a light beam into a higher power main beam and at least one lower power side beam. The optical storage system also includes a controller configured to alter an optical medium, via modulation of the higher power main beam according to a writing strategy waveform that defines at least n pulses for every n bits of data to be written to the medium, while processing a first signal resulting from the at least one lower power side beam being reflected from the medium and a second signal indicative of the writing strategy waveform to remove noise from the first signal caused by the higher power main beam to generate output indicative of the data directly after writing.

Methods and apparatus for recording and retrieval of optically readable data employ a recording medium (100) which comprises an optically active material (108) able to induce a change in properties of the medium in the presence of optical radiation having a first characteristic, such as a first optical frequency, and wherein the change in properties can be inhibited by optical radiation having a second characteristic, such as a second optical frequency. During recording, a region of the recording medium (100) is irradiated with a first beam (506) of optical radiation having the first characteristic, the beam having a sufficient intensity within a central portion of the irradiated region and being of sufficient duration to cause an optically induced change in properties of the recording medium. Simultaneously, the region of the recording medium (100) is irradiated with a second beam (508) of optical radiation having the second characteristic, the second beam having a local intensity minimum within the central portion of the irradiated region, and a local intensity maximum in at least one portion of the irradiated region adjacent to the central portion which is sufficient to inhibit the optically induced change in properties of the recording medium. A similar method is employed for retrieval, however the intensity of the first beam (506) is reduced to prevent changes in material properties within the recording medium (100).

Methods and apparatus for recording and retrieval of optically readable data employ a recording medium (100) which comprises an optically active material (108) able to induce a change in properties of the medium in the presence of optical radiation having a first characteristic, such as a first optical frequency, and wherein the change in properties can be inhibited by optical radiation having a second characteristic, such as a second optical frequency. During recording, a region of the recording medium (100) is irradiated with a first beam (506) of optical radiation having the first characteristic, the beam having a sufficient intensity within a central portion of the irradiated region and being of sufficient duration to cause an optically induced change in properties of the recording medium. Simultaneously, the region of the recording medium (100) is irradiated with a second beam (508) of optical radiation having the second characteristic, the second beam having a local intensity minimum within the central portion of the irradiated region, and a local intensity maximum in at least one portion of the irradiated region adjacent to the central portion which is sufficient to inhibit the optically induced change in properties of the recording medium. A similar method is employed for retrieval, however the intensity of the first beam (506) is reduced to prevent changes in material properties within the recording medium (100).

Data reading and writing apparatuses and data reading and writing methods are provided. In a data reading apparatus or a data writing apparatus, an optical head array including a plurality of laser heads is disposed, so that a quantity of laser heads for reading/writing data is increased. In addition, each laser head is improved, and a plurality of focal points are disposed in the laser head, so that in a data reading/writing process, parallel reading/writing of a plurality of pieces of data may be implemented by using the plurality of laser heads and the plurality of focal points in the laser head, and a data read/write throughput of an optical storage medium may be improved.