Optical information recording apparatus and method for recording optical information

An optical information recording apparatus comprising:

• a laser light source radiating a light beam;
• a spatial light modulator spatially modulatable the light beam, the spatial light modulator disposed on an optical path of the light beam, and the spatial light modulator having pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array at a portion where a central section of the light beam is radiated;
• a power density control mechanism disposed on the optical path of the light beam and whose reflectance with respect to the light beam at a portion where the central section of the light beam is radiated is set lower than that at a portion where a peripheral section of the light beam is radiated;
• and
• an interference fringe formation mechanism forming interference fringes from the peripheral section of the light beam and the peripheral section of the light beam on an optical information recording medium disposed downstream on the optical path of the light beam.

A method of recording optical information comprising:

• spatially modulating a central section of a light beam to thus cause an information beam to contain data to be recorded;
• decreasing power density in a central section of the light beam to a greater extent in relation to a decrease in power density in a peripheral section of the light beam;
• and
• forming interference fringes from the peripheral section of the light beam and the central section of the light beam on the optical recording medium.

An optical information recording apparatus comprising:

• a laser light source radiating a light beam;
• a member disposed on an optical path of the light beam, and integrally configured by a spatial light modulator spatially modulatable the light beam and a power density control mechanism;
• and
• an interference fringe formation mechanism forming interference fringes from the central section of the light beam and the peripheral section of the light beam on an optical information recording medium disposed downstream on the optical path of the light beam, wherein the spatial light modulator has pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array at a portion where a central section of the light beam is radiated, and
• wherein a transmittance of the power density control mechanism with respect to the light beam at a portion where the central section of the light beam is radiated is set lower than that at a portion where a peripheral section of the light beam is radiated.

An optical information recording apparatus comprising:

• a laser light source radiating a light beam;
• a member disposed on an optical path of the light beam, and integrally configured by a spatial light modulator spatially modulatable the light beam and a power density control mechanism;
• and
• an interference fringe formation mechanism forming interference fringes from the peripheral section of the light beam and the peripheral section of the light beam on an optical information recording medium disposed downstream on the optical path of the light beam, wherein the spatial light modulator has pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array at a portion where a central section of the light beam is radiated, and
• wherein a reflectance of the power density control mechanism with respect to the light beam at a portion where the central section of the light beam is radiated is set lower than that at a portion where a peripheral section of the light beam is radiated.