High speed VCSEL array head for tera byte optical disk

Abstract

Near-field optical technologies are inevitable for the development of an ultrahigh density optical memory disk system because of the diffraction limited focused beam diameter is too wide to write/read fine bits on an optical disk. The method of parallel light beams with near-field optical technology using very fine tips of special cone prisms as output windows of the evanescent waves are used in this paper to realize a new disc system, in which both ultra high density memory and high data transfer rate are possible. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array is chosen as a light source for ultra-parallel beam emitters. The VCSEL can be a micro-cavity laser with no threshold current and with a high power efficiency up to 57 %. The optical media of this system are both the magneto-optical medium and the photon mode medium such as diarylethene derivatives.