Paul Scherrer Institut

Jörg Raabe

Mirko Holler

Sebastian Gliga

A method for increasing readout speed of information encoded on magnetic storage media uses contactless circularly polarized X-rays, allowing real-time, high-fidelity readout. Magnetic information is encoded by magnetization value and direction stored on magnetic tapes or disk drives. The method includes providing first c+ and second c− circularly polarized X-ray beams, orienting the first and second X-ray beams towards the magnetic tape, simultaneously reading out the first and second X-ray beams after passage through the same region of the magnetic tape while advancing the magnetic tape, and determining magnetic information by the difference between two readout signals from the first and second x-ray beams based on X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. Based on beam splitting, real-time readout of the magnetic signal stored on the magnetic tape is achievable by intensity signal evaluation for the first and second X-ray beams.

Method for speed-up of magnetic signal readout from magnetic storage media by beam splitting

A laser interferometer and a method for operating a laser interferometer perform a differential position measurement by laser interferometry of two elements while offering a rotational degree of freedom to one of the elements using a reflecting sphere as a mirror for the laser beam. The laser interferometer and method do not require the object to be aligned with the rotation axis, but instead can track the object in off-centered geometries. This is achieved by employing the pointing of the reflected beam from the sphere as a feedback signal to realign the interferometer which then has a constant beam pointing to the center of the sphere in all cases. The laser interferometer and method keep the direction of the measurement constant. The laser interferometer and method are suitable for homodyne and heterodyne types of laser interferometer technology.

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Villnachern, Switzerland

Jörg Raabe