Three-dimensional optical memory medium and process for producing same
AssigneeCentral Glass Company, Limited
InventorsKiyotaka Miura, Seiji Fujiwara
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Abstract
The invention relates to a three-dimensional optical memory medium capable of recording and reading a large quantity of information therein and therefrom, and a process for producing the same. A recording pulsed laser beam is applied to an arbitrary position in a luminescent-ion-containing solid medium as the solid medium is three-dimensionally moved relative to a converging point of the pulsed laser beam.
Claims10
A three-dimensional optical memory medium comprising:
- a solid medium forming a base substrate of said optical memory, said solid medium being made of a fluoride glass comprising (a) aluminum fluoride and (b) luminescent ions that are trivalent Sm ions;
- and
- a plurality of spots which are three-dimensionally distributed in said solid medium, said spots containing luminescent ions that are bivalent Sm ions formed as a result of condensing a pulsed laser beam in said solid medium.
A process for producing a three-dimensional optical memory medium, said medium comprising:
- a solid medium forming a base substrate of said optical memory, said solid medium being made of a fluoride glass comprising (a) aluminum fluoride and (b) luminescent ions that are trivalent Sm ions;
- and
- a plurality of spots which are three-dimensionally distributed in said solid medium, said spots containing luminescent ions that are bivalent Sm ions formed as a result of condensing a pulsed laser beam in said solid medium, said process comprising:
- (a) providing a solid medium comprising luminescent ions that are trivalent Sm ions;
- (b) condensing a pulsed laser beam to a focal point in said solid medium such that a spot corresponding to said focal point is formed in said solid medium, said spot comprising luminescent ions that are bivalent Sm ions;
- and
- (c) three-dimensionally scanning said solid medium with said pulsed laser beam such that a plural number of spots are formed three-dimensionally in said solid medium, thereby producing said three-dimensional optical memory medium.
A process for reading information from a three-dimensional optical memory medium, said medium comprising:
- a solid medium forming a base substrate of said optical memory, said solid medium being made of a fluoride glass comprising (a) aluminum fluoride and (1) luminescent ions that are trivalent Sm ions;
- and
- a plurality of spots which are three-dimensionally distributed in said solid medium, said spots containing luminescent ions that are bivalent Sm ions formed as a result of condensing a pulsed laser beam in said solid medium, said process comprising:
- irradiating said three-dimensional optical memory medium with a laser beam having a wavelength such that said luminescent ions contained in said spots are selectively excited and thereby emit light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.