Six-dimensional optical storage method and apparatus

An optical six-dimensional data storage method, the method comprising:

• using multiple linearly polarized light beams with different wavelengths, encode intensities and encoded polarization directions, which correspond to each group of data according to a color shade and polarization direction encoding regulation, during each short period, to form each group of plane or quasi-plane standing waves in the photorefractive, polarization and wavelength sensitive optical medium;
• and through interactions between the formed standing waves and the medium to change medium refractive index to create each group of multiple wavelength selective, reflectivity specified and polarization sensitive tiny plane or quasi-plane Bragg reflectors in a small volume of the medium as each storage cell;
• and through wavelength sensitive character of the medium to locate the created Bragg reflectors in each storage cell in one layer storage medium or separately in multilayer storage medium;
• later by illuminating required storage cells using multiple unpolarized light beams to produce the groups of the reflected beams with selected wavelengths, correspondent intensities and particular polarizations;
• at last by decoding the groups of the reflected beams from the required storage cells through a color shade and polarization direction decoding process to reproduce the required stored data groups;
• in addition, may use traveling waves with required wavelengths during required periods to eliminate the created Bragg reflectors in one or multiple storage medium layer(s) of one or multiple storage cell(s) to erase the partial or total stored data, or may use standing wave(s) with required wavelength(s) during required period(s) to make one or multiple Bragg reflector(s) have a specified reflectivity and polarization direction, which represents “no data”, to erase the partial or total stored data.