ODSC Mission

The Optical Data Storage Center was formed in 1985 by the Board of Regents of the University of Arizona as a cooperative research center jointly funded by the State of Arizona and private industry. Its mission is to perform leading-edge research in the field of optical data storage to develop an increased understanding of the technologies involved, stimulate industrial innovation and strengthen educational capabilities in industrially relevant science and technology.

In pursuit of this goal, ODSC conducts research into the physics and material science of phase change and magneto-optic recording materials, explores advanced methods for obtaining data, tracking and focus error signals, and develops advanced optical head designs involving waveguides and the integration of micro-optic, holographic, and other novel optical elements.

Research is conducted in ODSC's own extensive laboratory facilities, housed in the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences. Through joint appointments and collaborative projects, research is also conducted in the departments of Physics, Chemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Materials Science on the University of Arizona campus. ODSC faculty members and scientists have developed and implemented state-of-the-art testing and characterization facilities to enable the study of recording materials and optical systems design over a wide spectral range and in many form factors. Issues relating to data reliability such as recording format, coding and error-handling are studied through unique hardware developed to characterize actual error distributions and sophisticated channel models. Extensive diffractive modeling capabilities have been developed to propagate wavefronts to and from the disk for the study of optical system design, signal acquisition and recording margins. Other models include diffraction from periodic structures, waveguide/fiber coupling and propagation, and many others.

Optical Data Storage Center research is on the leading edge of the data storage industry and its graduates are in great demand to fill key industry positions.