Storage medium having a layer of micro-optical lenses each lens generating an evanescent field
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A storage medium, suitable for use with an external source of illumination for the storage and retrieval of information, said storage medium comprising:
- an optical layer disposed to receive the illumination, said optical layer comprising a plurality of micro-optical elements, each said micro-optical element having a first index of refraction and configured such that illumination incident upon said micro-optic element produces local evanescent field illumination extending from said optical layer, andan active layer disposed to receive said evanescent field illumination, said active layer being responsive to said evanescent field illumination such that a predetermined amount of said evanescent field illumination impinging upon a portion of said active layer produces an artifact within said portion.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medium suitable for the optical storage and retrieval of information comprising a substrate, an active layer for retention of the data, and an overlying optical layer, or layers for double-sided. The optical layer serves to produce an evanescent field in or adjacent to the active layer in response to an incident beam of radiation. The evanescent field is frustrated or attenuated by the data in the active layer and produces a signal.
163 Citations
100 Claims
-
1. A storage medium, suitable for use with an external source of illumination for the storage and retrieval of information, said storage medium comprising:
-
an optical layer disposed to receive the illumination, said optical layer comprising a plurality of micro-optical elements, each said micro-optical element having a first index of refraction and configured such that illumination incident upon said micro-optic element produces local evanescent field illumination extending from said optical layer, and an active layer disposed to receive said evanescent field illumination, said active layer being responsive to said evanescent field illumination such that a predetermined amount of said evanescent field illumination impinging upon a portion of said active layer produces an artifact within said portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A storage medium, suitable for use with an external source of illumination, having a wavelength λ
- , for the storage and retrieval of information, said storage medium comprising;
an optical layer disposed to receive the illumination, said optical layer comprising a plurality of micro-optical elements, each said micro-optical element having a first index of refraction and configured such that illumination incident upon said micro-optic element produces propagating illumination extending from said optical layer, said optical layer further comprising an interference reference surface, and an active layer disposed to receive said propagating illumination, said active layer being responsive to said propagating illumination such that a predetermined amount of said propagating illumination impinging upon a portion of said active layer produces an artifact within said portion. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
- , for the storage and retrieval of information, said storage medium comprising;
-
45. A storage medium, suitable for use with an external source of illumination for the storage and retrieval of information, said storage medium comprising:
-
a first optical layer comprising micro-optical elements, said first optical layer further comprising a first index of refraction and disposed to receive the illumination and generate an evanescent field illumination therefrom; a second optical layer comprising a second index of refraction, said second optical layer disposed to receive said evanescent field illumination and generate a secondary evanescent field illumination therefrom, and an active layer disposed to receive said secondary evanescent field illumination, said active layer being responsive to said secondary evanescent field illumination such that a predetermined amount of said secondary evanescent field illumination impinging upon a portion of said active layer produces an artifact within said portion. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
-
-
79. A storage medium, suitable for use with an external proximal source of evanescent field illumination provided by means of an optical element having an index of refraction for the storage and retrieval of information, said storage medium comprising:
-
an optical layer comprising an index of refraction, said optical layer disposed to receive the evanescent field illumination and generate secondary evanescent field illumination therefrom, and an active layer disposed to receive said secondary evanescent field illumination, said active layer being responsive to said secondary evanescent field illumination such that a predetermined amount of said secondary evanescent field illumination impinging upon a portion of said active layer produces an artifact within said portion. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
-
Specification