System and method for holographic storage

A system for storing holograms in a holographic storage medium, the system comprising:

• a coherent light source for providing a coherent light beam;
• a first beam splitter for splitting the coherent light beam into an object beam and a reference beam;
• an elliptical reflector with a first and second focal point;
• a rotatable reflector rotatable about a first axis and a second axis, whereby the rotatable reflector is located at the second focal point of the elliptical reflector, and is operable to rotate about the first axis to direct the reference beam to multiple target locations on the elliptical reflector along a first elliptical mirror axis, and is operable to rotate about the second axis to direct the reference beam to multiple target locations on the elliptical reflector along a second elliptical mirror axis, whereby the elliptical reflector directs the reference beam at an incident angle to the holographic storage medium;
• a pattern encoder;
• and
• a holographic storage medium located at the first focal point.

A method for recording multiplexed holograms in a holographic storage medium comprising:

• providing a reference beam and a data carrying object beam;
• directing the data carrying object beam to a holographic storage medium;
• directing the reference beam to a rotatable reflector rotatable about a first axis and a second axis;
• and
• selectively rotating the rotatable reflector about the first or second axis to a select position, wherein the reference beam is deflected from the rotatable deflector to an elliptical reflector, and wherein the elliptical deflector further deflects the reference beam to the holographic storage medium where it interferes with the data carrying object beam to record a hologram.

A method for recording multiplexed holograms in a holographic storage medium comprising:

• providing a reference beam and a plurality of data carrying object beams;
• directing each data carrying object beam of the plurality of data carrying object beams to a holographic storage medium;
• directing the reference beam to a rotatable reflector rotatable about a first axis and a second axis;
• selectively rotating the rotatable reflector about the first axis through a succession of angles to deflect the reference beam to an elliptical reflector along a first axis of the elliptical reflector, wherein the elliptical reflector deflects the reference beam to the holographic storage medium at a succession of angle multiplexing angles, wherein the reference beam at each angle interferes with a different data carrying object beam to record a succession of angular multiplexed holograms;
• and selectively rotating the rotatable reflector about the second axis through a succession of angles to deflect the reference beam to an elliptical reflector along a second axis of the elliptical reflector, wherein the elliptical reflector deflects the reference beam to the holographic storage medium at a succession of peristrophic multiplexing angles, wherein the reference beam at each angle interferes with a different data carrying object beam to record a succession of peristrophic multiplexed holograms.

A method for reading multiplexed holograms recorded in a holographic storage medium comprising:

• providing a readout beam;
• directing the readout beam to a rotatable reflector rotatable about a first axis and a second axis;
• and
• selectively rotating the rotatable reflector about the first or second axis to a select position, wherein the readout beam is deflected from the rotatable deflector to an elliptical reflector, and wherein the elliptical deflector further deflects the readout beam to the holographic storage medium where it reconstructs a previously recorded hologram at the select position to produce a reconstruction beam;
• and
• directing the reconstruction beam to a detector.