US 11,335,373 B1 · Plasmonic transducer head for writing data to and reading data from an optical recording medium ultilizing a fluorescent dye

Abstract

3D optical data storage refers to forms of optical data storage in which information can be recorded and/or read with 3D resolution. 3D optical media are generally limited in areal density by the diffraction limit of laser light used to read and/or write data to and/or from the optical media. It is thus advantageous to find ways to store data on 3D optical media with a spot size below the diffraction limit of an associated laser reader to further increase areal density of the optical media. A hybrid approach that utilizes plasmon technology to access a surface layer of the 3D optical media with an extremely small spot size and photon technology to access interior layers of the 3D optical media with a larger spot size may substantially increase overall data density of the 3D optical media.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A plasmonic transducer head for an optical storage medium comprising:

a plasmon antenna including:
a light source to generate a light pulse;
a plasmon antenna optics set to receive and focus the light pulse;
and
a near field transducer (NFT) to receive the focused light pulse and convert it to a plasmon pulse directed on a target area to be read from the optical storage medium, the plasmon pulse to excite the target area to emit a fluorescent signal, wherein a magnitude of the plasmon pulse is below a bleaching threshold for fluorescent dye at the target area;
and
a fluorescence detector configured to detect fluorescence of the target area caused by the plasmon pulse, the fluorescence detector including:
a light detector tuned to an expected frequency of the fluorescent signal;
and
a detector optics set to receive the fluorescent signal from the excited target area and direct the fluorescent signal to the light detector.

7 more elements

A method of reading first data from an optical storage medium using a plasmonic transducer head, the method comprising:

generating a light pulse;
focusing the light pulse on a near field transducer (NFT);
converting the focused light pulse into a plasmon pulse within the NFT;
directing the plasmon pulse on a target area to be read from the optical storage medium, the plasmon pulse to excite the target area to emit a fluorescent signal, wherein a magnitude of the plasmon pulse is below a bleaching threshold for fluorescent dye at the target area;
receiving the fluorescent signal emitted from the excited target area;
and
directing the fluorescent signal to a light detector to read the first data from the excited target area of the optical storage medium.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plasmonic transducer head for writing data to and reading data from an optical recording medium ultilizing a fluorescent dye

Life of this patent

Plasmonic transducer head for writing data to and reading data from an optical recording medium ultilizing a fluorescent dye

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19