Optical Data Storage

Optical Data Storage Center

ODSC, the Optical Data Storage Center, is the driving force behind a cooperative research program among faculty members, scientists and engineers at Optical Sciences, the University of Arizona, EMC Corporation, General Electric Company, Hewlett-Packard Company, Industrial Technology Research, Iomega Corporation, LG Electronics Incorporated and Seagate.  ODSC maintains a Web presence at www.optics.arizona.edu/odsc

  • 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, the 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. 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.

External Cavity Laser Diodes Laboratory

Dr. Dennis Howe. Researchers are studying external cavity laser diodes by measuring the influence of the parameters of extremely short external cavities on the oscillating wavelength and power of semiconductor lasers.

Photonic Devices Laboratory

Dr. Alan Kost. This new state-of-the-art laboratory is equipped to conduct experiments in optical switching and optical communications.

Systems Measurement Laboratory

Dr. Dennis Howe. Research includes the dynamic and test and characterization of optical data storage materials and the development of novel modulation schemes for optical data storage.

Systems Laboratory

Dr. Tom Milster. This laboratory houses several dynamic spinstands for the analysis of advanced optical data storage concepts such as two-photon storage and storage on flexible media. High data rate and high capacity systems are of primary interest, with a secondary emphasis on secure data erasure.

Media Characterization Laboratory #1

Dr. Masud Mansuripur. A two laser static test bed is used to examine the writing process in either magneto-optical or phase-change storage by employing a separate laser to monitor the material properties (magnetization or reflectivity) in real-time. The tester is used to determine magnetic or/and thermal properties of the materials used in data storage. Furthermore the write and the erase dynamics is investigated. The lab’s scatterometer is used to investigate the contributions of different layers of the optical storage medium (substrate, recording layers, protection layers) to the background noise due to scattered light.

Media Characterization Laboratory #2

Dr. Masud Mansuripur. Determination of optical constants is performed with a new type of ellipsometer designed by the group. The ellipsometer allows the measurement of thin film optical constants used in data storage with a thickness of tens of nanometers with high accuracy. A versatile scanning microscope is used for research into the use of phase information in data storage as well as determining the intensity distribution at the exit pupil.

Media Characterization Laboratory #3

Dr. Masud Mansuripur. Research is being carried out on the dynamic performance of new disks (phase-change and magneto-optical) for higher density storage developed by several major optical storage companies using new recording formats, e.g. DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and new recording materials. The experiments are carried out on a calibrated dynamic tester to measure the read, write, and erase characteristics and the signal and noise levels associated. A fully automated commercial version of the tester is also in use for experiments.