High Density Optical Data Storage

TIAX (formerly Arthur D. Little's Technology Division), in partnership with Harvard University, proposes to develop a revolutionary data storage technology with the potential to provide data densities of > 2 Terabits/in2 and data access rates that are 3orders of magnitude faster than the current optical technology. Such dramatic advances over the state-of-the-art will not only enable entirely new data storage products critical for next-generation warfare, but will also create exceptional opportunities inthe commercial arena that will transform the multi-billion dollar data storage industry. Our proposed effort is based on the recent discoveries at Harvard University that provide us with a powerful technique to go beyond the limits set on the data densityof conventional optical storage technologies by the Rayleigh criterion. Our technique enables us to create spots of light with diameters that are well below the wavelength of the light, and is the basis of our approach to high-density optical data storage.The proposed effort will develop a technology that will ultimately enable accessibility to a much richer data set in the field in vehicles, aircraft and by the soldier - an ability of vital importance in next-generation warfare. It will be uniquely suitedfor applications where large amounts of data are required for use in extreme environments, where mobility is required, and when communications are limited either by security or bandwidth. The potential commercial applications of this technology are verydiverse and include large corporate, government, and Internet data centers, numerous desktop applications, wireless and handheld devices as well as consumer products like digital cameras, audio players, DVD players and camcorders etc.