Pioneer Corporation

Hajime Matsushita

Yoshihisa Itoh

Satoru Tanaka

Hideki Hatano

Tomomitsu Kouno

Takashi Yamaji

Fumitaka Kotaka

Yoshihisa Ito

A hologram recording and reproducing apparatus preforms to record data on a recording medium and reproduce data from the recording medium. The recording medium is made of a photorefractive crystal having a parallel plate shape. The apparatus includes: a support portion for detachably supporting and rotating the recording medium; a recording-reference-light-beam-supplying-portion for supplying a coherent recording reference light beam propagating along an optical axis to a major surface of the recording medium; a signal-light-beam-supplying-portion for supplying a coherent signal light beam which is modulated in accordance with image data, in an optical path into the recording medium such that the signal light beam intersects with the reference light beam to produce an optical interference pattern with the reference and signal light beams within the recording medium; a reproducing-reference-light-beam-supplying-portion for supplying into the recording medium a coherent reproducing reference light beam propagating in an opposite direction along the optical axis of the recording reference light beam to generate a phase conjugation wave from a refractive-index grating of the light interference pattern; a splitting portion for splitting the phase conjugation wave from the optical path of the signal light beam to image a dot pattern with the phase conjugation wave; a photo-detecting portion for detecting the dot pattern imaged with the phase conjugation wave to reproduce the image data.

Hologram recording and reproducing apparatus

A description is provided of an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus having a volume holographic memory. The apparatus is capable of recording an interference pattern in the volume holographic memory in high density and can be made small-sized. The apparatus includes a comprises support portion for detachably supporting the volume holographic memory, which is made of a photorefractive crystalline material; a reference beam supplying portion for making a coherent reference beam of a first wavelength incident on the volume holographic memory; a signal beam generating portion for making a coherent signal beam of the first wavelength, which is modulated in accordance with image data, incident on the volume holographic memory, intersecting therein the signal beam with the reference beam, and generating a three-dimensional light interference pattern of the signal beam and the reference beam; and detecting a portion for detecting diffracted light from a refractive index grid of the light interference pattern in the volume holographic memory, due to irradiation of the reference beam. The signal beam and the reference beam are arranged in a plane having a normal line perpendicular to the symmetrical axis of rotation of the volume holographic memory.

Optical information recording and reproducing apparatus having volume holographic memory

In a hologram recording method for forming a plurality of areas of a refractive index light interference pattern of a coherent signal light beam in accordance with information data within a recording medium having a shape of parallel flat plates, the signal light beam and the recording reference light beam cross each other within the recording medium, and a gate light beam having a second wavelength for revealing recording sensitivity of the recording medium is simultaneously irradiated to the recording medium so as to pass through a portion of the recording reference light beam and demarcate a volume smaller than that of this crossing portion.

Hologram recording medium, hologram recording method and hologram recording and reproducing apparatus

A description is provided of an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus. The apparatus comprises: a holographic memory made of a photorefractive crystalline material; a support portion for detachably supporting the memory; a reference beam supplying portion for supplying a coherent reference beam of a first wavelength incident on the memory; a signal beam generating portion for supplying a coherent signal beam of the first wavelength, which is modulated in accordance with image data, incident on the memory, intersecting therein the signal beam with the reference beam, and generating a three-dimensional interference pattern of the beams; a detecting portion for detecting a diffracted light from a refractive index grating of the interference pattern in the memory, due to irradiation of the reference beam; and a medium position adjusting portion for moving a position of the support portion in accordance with a signal corresponding to positioning images from the detection portion. The memory includes a nonvolatile refractive index grating corresponding to a three-dimensional interference pattern of a coherent reference beam and a coherent signal beam, the coherent signal beam being modulated in accordance with positioning images.

A volume holographic memory for recording three-dimensional distribution of interference fringes generated owing to interference between signal light and reference light is provided, wherein the volume holographic memory is formed into a cylindrical shape. Also an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus is provided which incorporates an interference-fringe generating unit for generating interference fringes formed owing to interference between signal light and reference light; a storage unit for storing three-dimensional distribution of the interference fringes generated by the interference-fringe generating unit; a detecting unit for detecting diffracted light obtainable from the storage unit by irradiating the storage unit with reference light; and a reproducing unit for reproducing signal light from diffracted light detected by the detecting unit, wherein the storage unit is constituted by a volume holographic memory having a cylindrical shape.

Volume holographic memory and optical information recording/reproducing apparatus

Disclosed are a holographic memory medium for use in a holographic memory system, which can prevent generation of stray light of a gating beam at the time of recording information, and a recording apparatus which uses this memory medium. This memory medium records an information signal carried by a signal beam as a coherent reference beam and the signal beam enter the memory medium with a gating beam being present. The memory medium has at least a first surface and a second surface parallel to each other and comprises an antireflection coat, formed on the first surface, for preventing reflection of the gating beam. The recording apparatus records an information signal using a holographic memory medium and comprises a light absorbing member of absorbing the gating beam coming through the memory medium.

Holographic memory medium and recording apparatus using the same

An optical information recording/reproducing system includes a support member for removably supporting a volume holographic memory formed of a photorefractive crystal, and has a shape of a rotary member having a rotational symmetry axis, with plane surfaces perpendicular to the rotational symmetry axis formed at respective opposite ends thereof. The system also includes a reference beam-irradiating member for irradiating the volume holographic memory with a coherent reference beam having a first wavelength. The system also includes a signal beam-irradiating member for irradiating the volume holographic memory with a coherent signal beam which has the first wavelength and is modulated according to image data, to cause the signal beam to intersect with the reference beam within the volume holographic memory and thereby generate a refractive index grating of a three-dimensional optical interference pattern between the signal beam and the reference beam. The system also includes a member for detecting a diffracted light generated by irradiation of the reference beam on the refractive index grating of the optical interference pattern. The support member holds the volume holographic memory in a position allowing the signal beam to pass through the plane surfaces of the volume holographic memory at the respective opposite ends thereof.

Optical information recording/reproducing system

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus, which detachably supports a holographic memory formed of a photorefractive crystal, includes a portion for supplying a coherent reference light beam at a first wavelength into the holographic memory; a portion for supplying a coherent signal light beam at the first wavelength, modulated in accordance with image data, into the memory to produce an optical interference pattern with the reference light within the memory; a portion for supplying a gate light beam at a second wavelength into the memory for activating or deactivating an index grating in accordance with the presence or absence of the optical interference pattern to enhance a photo-sensitivity of the memory; a detector for detecting diffraction light from the index grating of the memory by the irradiation of the reference light beam; and a portion for changing and regulating a light intensity of the gate light beam.

Optical information recording and reproducing apparatus using a holographic memory

A description is provided of an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus which detachably supports a volume holographic memory formed of a photorefractive crystal. The apparatus includes a portion for supplying a coherent reference light beam at a first wavelength into the volume holographic memory; a portion for supplying a coherent signal light beam at the first wavelength, modulated in accordance with image data, into the memory to produce an optical interference pattern with the reference light within the memory; a portion for supplying a gate light beam at a second wavelength into the memory for activating or deactivating an index grating in accordance with the presence or absence of the optical interference pattern to enhances a photo-sensitivity of the memory; and a detector for detecting diffraction light from the index grating of the memory by the irradiation of the reference light beam. The apparatus includes a scanning portion for moving an intersecting region in which the gate light beam, the signal light beam and the reference light beam intersect with one another within the volume holographic memory along an optical axis of an optical path of the signal light beam within the volume holographic memory.

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Tsurugashima, Japan

Hajime Matsushita