HIGH DATA RATE OPTICAL HEAD

THIS PROPOSAL SHOWS A METHOD FOR SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCING THE SPEED AND EFFICIENCY OF THE OPTICAL DISK HEAD. (1) WEIGHT COULD BE REDUCED WITH THE PROPOSED DESIGN FOR HOLOGRAPHIC OPTIC ELEMENTS (H.O.E.), WHICH HAVE FEWER ELEMENTS AND COULD BE MADE WITH LIGHTER AND LESS EXPENSIVE PLASTIC MATERIALS. (2) THE PROPOSED H.O.E. CONFIGURATION ALLOWS REDUCTION OF THE F-NUMBER WITHOUT IMAGE QUALITY DEGRADATION; AND WITH A SMALLER F-NUMBER, COLLECTION OF THE LASER IS MORE EFFICIENT. (3) THE PROPOSAL INCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR THE AUTOMATIC DESIGN OF H.O.E. CONFIGURATION. THE MOST INNOVATIVE PART OF THIS PROPOSAL IS THE COMPENSATION FOR LASER DIODE WAVELENGTH SHIFT, WHICH HAS STYMIED EFFORTS TO USE HOLOGRAMS IN THIS APPLICATION. THE SYSTEM CAN ACHIEVE AN IMAGE SPOT SIZE OF ONE MICRON ( 1 ).