High Capacity High Speed Optical Data Storage System Based on Diffraction-Free Nanobeam

50566-98-I High Capacity High Speed Optical Data Storage System Based on Diffraction-Free Nanobeam--Physical Optics Corporation, 20600 Gramercy Place, Suite 103, Torrance, CA 90501-1821; (310) 320-3088 Dr. Tin M. Aye, Principal Investigator Mr. Gordon Drew, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82640 Amount: $74,995 DOE¿s nuclear physics laboratories, such as the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, produce a continuous stream of data, at the rate of 20 Mbytes/sec or more, which needs to be stored- a total data volume of 100 Terabytes per year. However, current data storage systems are limited in terms of both storage capacity and access time. To address this need, this project will develop an ultrahigh capacity optical data storage system based on diffraction-free nanobeam writing. The system will be built around a current well-engineered high speed optical disk system with an innovative diffraction-free micro optical element to produce a beam ~50 nm wide with ~cm depth of focus, allowing the system to address data at much higher speed, and to store it 100 to 1000 times more densely. Phase I will evaluate feasibility by system design and analysis, the demonstration fabrication of the key components, and with a proof-of-principle experiment. Specifically, a 50 nm large depth of focus (~1cm) nanobeam will be demonstrated by fabricating a special microdiffractive optical element and recording a high density data stream on a standard optical recording disk coated with a photopolymer material. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The high capacity, high speed, optical disk memory system should find extensive commercial applications in large scale data storage, computer, optical communication, image archiving, library, medical, university, and research facilities. _