Device and a method for the optical recording, storage and readout of information
AssigneeCAMPus Technologies AG
InventorThilo Weitzel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high memory capacity with relatively low demands on the optical quality of the components used is possible in accordance with the invention by the means to generate the at least two light rays and/or the memory element and/or means to guide the light rays are designed in such a way that the spatial orientation of the interference sample generated in the memory element by the light rays can be changed in any spatial direction over the spatial orientation of an interference pattern stored in the memory element and/or a light diffracting structure present in the memory element. The invention further relates to a device for the readout of optical information and a method for the optical recording and for the optical readout of information.
Claims23
A device for the optical recording, storage and readout of information comprising
- at least one memory element (30) in which interference patterns can be stored and/or which possesses a light diffracting structure and/or in which a light diffracting structure can be generated;
- means (10) for the generation of at least two light rays, with at least two of the light rays being able to be aligned in such a way that they can be combined in the memory element (30) while forming an interference pattern;
- means for the frequency translation and/or frequency modulation or phase modulation (24) by means of which at least one of the light rays guided to the memory element (30) can be modulated:
- at least one spacially integrating detector (70, 70') to detect the light rays;
- and with at least one demodulator (80) and or with optical elements, by means of which a time and/or spatial modulation of the intensity with reference to the whole or parts of the ray cross-section detected can be measured,
- wherein
- the means (10) to generate the at least two light rays and/or the memory element (30) and/or means to guide the light rays (20, 24) are designed in such a way that the spatial orientation of the interference pattern generated by the light rays in the memory element (30) can be changed in any spatial direction over the spatial orientation of an interference pattern stored in the memory element (30) and/or a light diffracting structure present in the memory element (30).
A device for the optical readout of information comprising
- at least one memory element (30) in which interference patterns can be stored and/or which possesses a light diffracting structure and/or in which a light diffracting structure can be generated;
- means for the generation of at least one light ray, with at least one light ray being able to be aligned to the memory element, with at least one further light ray being able to be generated with the memory element and with at least two light rays being able to be aligned in such a way that they can be combined while forming an interference pattern;
- means for the frequency translation and/or frequency modulation or phase modulation, by means of which at least one of the combined light rays can be modulated;
- at least one spacially integrating detector to detect the light rays;
- and with at least one demodulator and/or with optical elements, by means of which a time and/or spatial modulation of the intensity with reference to the whole or parts of the ray cross-section detected can be measured,
- wherein
- the means to generate the at least one light ray and/or the memory element and/or means to guide the light rays are designed in such a way that the spatial angle between the combined rays can be changed in any spatial direction.
A method for the optical readout of information from a memory element (30) which possesses light diffracting structures, comprising steps of:
- for the purpose of the detection of a light diffracting structure at least two light rays are combined while forming an interference pattern;
- the frequency or relative phase position of at least one of the light rays is translated or modulated over the other and at least one of the light rays is emitted from the memory element (30) and is detected by a spacially integrating detector (70, 70');
- and a time or spatial modulation of this light ray is demodulated by means of a demodulator (80),
- wherein
- to detect different light diffraction structures, the direction of propagation of at least one of the light rays contributing to the interference can be changed in any spatial direction over the spatial orientation of a light diffracting structure stored in the memory element (30).
A device for the optical readout of information comprising
- at least one memory element (30) in which interference patterns can be stored and/or which possesses a light diffracting structure and/or in which a light diffracting structure can be generated;
- means for generating an interference pattern migrating with respect to a stored interference pattern;
- means to adjust the two patterns to true size in the whole common volume;
- and with at least one demodulator and/or with optical elements, by means of which a time and/or spatial modulation of the intensity with reference to the whole or parts of the ray cross-section detected can be measured,
- wherein the means to adjust the two patterns are designed in such a way that the spatial orientation of the interference pattern generated by the light rays in the memory element (30) can be changed in any spatial direction over the spatial orientation of an interference pattern stored in the memory element (30) and/or light diffracting structure present in the memory element (30).
A method for the optical readout of information from a memory element (30) which possesses light diffracting structures, comprising steps of:
- for the purposes of the detection of a light diffracting structure, at least two light rays are combined while forming an interference pattern migrating with respect to a light diffracting structure stored,
- adjusting the two patterns to true size,
- at least one of the light rays being emitted from the memory element and is detected by a spatially integrating detector,
- a time or spatial modulation of the light ray is demodulated by means of a demodulator,
- wherein to detect different light diffraction structures, the direction of propagation of at least one of the light rays contributing to the interference can be changed in any spatial direction over the spatial orientation of a light diffracting structure stored in the memory element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.