Method and apparatus for reading from a near-field optical recording medium, and near-field lens for the apparatus
AssigneeThomson Licensing
InventorsStephan Knappmann, Frank Przygodda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for reading from a near-field optical recording medium are described. The apparatus includes: an optical system for generating a signal beam and a reference beam; a near-field lens for illuminating the signal beam onto the near-field optical recording medium, for collimating a reflected signal beam, and for reflecting the reference beam; and at least a first detector and a second detector for obtaining a homodyne detection signal from the reflected signal beam and the reflected reference beam.
Claims11
An apparatus for reading from a near-field optical recording medium, the apparatus comprising:
- an optical system for generating a signal beam and a reference beam;
- a near-field lens for illuminating the signal beam onto the near-field optical recording medium, for collimating a reflected signal beam, and for reflecting the reference beam;
- and
- at least a first detector and a second detector for obtaining a homodyne detection signal from the reflected signal beam and the reflected reference beam.
A method for reading from a near-field optical recording medium, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating a signal beam and a reference beam;
- illuminating the signal beam onto the near-field optical recording medium with a near-field lens;
- collimating a reflected signal beam with the near-field lens;
- reflecting the reference beam with the near-field lens;
- and
- obtaining a homodyne detection signal from the reflected signal beam and the reflected reference beam with at least a first detector and a second detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.