Abstract: An optical reflective device for reflecting light including a grating medium having a first and second grating structure is disclosed. The first grating structure may be configured to reflect light of a wavelength about a first reflective axis offset from a surface normal of the grating medium at a first incidence angle. The second grating structure may be configured to reflect light of the wavelength about a second reflective axis offset from the surface normal of the grating medium at a second incidence angle different from the first incidence angle. The second reflective axis may be different from the first reflective axis.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing dynamic aperture holography are described. Examples include a method of recording multiple holograms in a photosensitive recording medium, where multiple signal beam angular apertures used to record the multiple holograms differ from each other. The multiple signal beam angular apertures can facilitate using a larger range of reference beam angular apertures. The multiple holograms are typically multiplexed, and examples of dynamic aperture holography enable packing the multiplexed holograms more densely in the recording medium. Some dynamic aperture holography systems include monocular objective lens architecture.

Abstract: An optical reflective device referred to as a skew mirror, having a reflective axis that need not be constrained to surface normal, is described. Examples of skew mirrors are configured to reflect light about substantially constant reflective axes across a relatively wide range of wavelengths. In some examples, a skew mirror has substantially constant reflective axes across a relatively wide range of angles of incidence. Exemplary methods for making and using skew mirrors are also disclosed. Skew mirrors include a grating structure, which in some examples comprises a hologram.

Abstract: Methods and devices for coherent holographic data channel techniques. Coherent techniques for data detection generally include homodyne and heterodyne detection. Techniques for quadrature homodyne detection, resampling quadrature homodyne detection, n-rature homodyne detection, and spatial wavefront demodulation. Coherent detection techniques in turn enable coherent channel modulation techniques such as phase modulation (including binary phase shift keying, or BPSK; phase quadrature holographic multiplexing, or QPSK; and quadrature amplitude modulation, or QAM). Coherent detection may also enable or improve the performance of other channel techniques such as partial response maximum likelihood (PRML), the various classes of extended PRML, and of noise-predictive maximum likelihood (NPML) detection.

Abstract: An optical reflective device referred to as a skew mirror, having a reflective axis that need not be constrained to surface normal, is described. Examples of skew mirrors are configured to reflect light about a constant reflective axis across a relatively wide range of wavelengths. In some examples, a skew mirror has a constant reflective axis across a relatively wide range of angles of incidence. Exemplary methods for making and using skew mirrors are also disclosed. Skew mirrors include a grating structure, which in some examples comprises a hologram.

Abstract: Methods and devices for coherent holographic data channel techniques are presented. Coherent techniques for data detection generally include homodyne and heterodyne detection. Techniques for quadrature homodyne detection, resampling quadrature homodyne detection, n-rature homodyne detection, and spatial wavefront demodulation are presented. Coherent detection techniques in turn enable coherent channel modulation techniques such as phase modulation (including binary phase shift keying, or BPSK; phase quadrature holographic multiplexing, or QPSK; and quadrature amplitude modulation, or QAM). Coherent detection may also enable or improve the performance of other channel techniques such as partial response maximum likelihood (PRML), the various classes of extended PRML, and of noise-predictive maximum likelihood (NPML) detection.

Abstract: Methods and devices for coherent holographic data channel techniques are presented. Coherent techniques for data detection generally include homodyne and heterodyne detection. Techniques for Quadrature homodyne detection (QHD), Enhanced resampling quadrature homodyne detection (ERQHD), N-rature homodyne detection (NHD), and local oscillator fringe demodulation are presented. Coherent detection techniques in turn enable coherent channel modulation techniques such as phase modulation (including binary phase shift keying, or BPSK; phase quadrature holographic multiplexing, or QPSK; and quadrature amplitude modulation, or QAM). Coherent detection may also enable or improve the performance of other channel techniques such as Partial response maximum likelihood (PRML), the various classes of extended PRML, and of Noise predictive maximum likelihood (NPML) detection.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing dynamic aperture holography are described. Embodiments include a method of recording multiple holograms in a photosensitive recording medium, wherein multiple signal beam angular apertures used to record the multiple holograms differ from each other. The multiple signal beam angular apertures can facilitate using a larger range of reference beam angular apertures. The multiple holograms are typically multiplexed, and embodiments of dynamic aperture holography enable packing the multiplexed holograms more densely in the recording medium. Embodiments include dynamic aperture holography systems having monocular objective lens architecture.

Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamic aperture holographic multiplexing are disclosed. One example process may include recording a set of holograms in a recording medium by varying both the reference beam angular aperture and the signal beam angular aperture. The angular aperture of the signal beam may be dynamically changed such that the closest edge of each signal beam angular aperture is selected to be a threshold angle different than the angular aperture of the reference beam used to record it. In some examples, the dynamic aperture holographic multiplexing process may include dynamic aperture equalization to reduce cross-talk, to improve error correction parity distribution for improved recovery transfer rate, to provide multiple locus aperture sharing for increased recording density, and to provide polarization multiplexed shared aperture multiplexing for increased transfer rate in both recording and recovery.

Abstract: A method for adjusting at least one alignment control axis of a holographic data storage system or device to or towards a sufficiently optimal recovery position for recovery of a hologram based on a derived feedback error signal and/or a derived feed-forward signal. For the next hologram in the sequence, the derived feedback error signal estimates the direction and magnitude of misalignment of the at least one alignment control axis for one or more previously recovered holograms based on alignment-indicating data. The derived feed-forward signal estimates an optimal alignment value for the at least one alignment control axis for one or more holograms based on recording and recovery operating condition data for the holograms. An iterative alignment procedure may also be used to derive a feedback error signal for one hologram.

Abstract: Methods and systems for equalizing a holographic image page and for compensating nonlinearity of a holographic data storage channel are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for equalizing a holographic image page includes receiving the holographic image page and dividing the holographic image page into a plurality of local image regions. The method further includes generating a local alignment error vector for each local image region, computing a local finite impulse response kernel for each local image region according to the corresponding local alignment error vector, and adjusting misaligned pixels of each local image region using the corresponding local finite impulse response kernel.

Abstract: Methods and systems for equalizing a holographic image page and for compensating nonlinearity of a holographic data storage channel are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for equalizing a holographic image page includes receiving the holographic image page and dividing the holographic image page into a plurality of local image regions. The method further includes generating a local alignment error vector for each local image region, computing a local finite impulse response kernel for each local image region according to the corresponding local alignment error vector, and adjusting misaligned pixels of each local image region using the corresponding local finite impulse response kernel.

Abstract: A holographic device is provided for recovering data in a holographic memory system. The device use homodyne detection to introduce a local oscillator beam into a reconstructed data beam of the recovered hologram. An image of the combined beam comprising the reconstructed data beam and local oscillator beam may be processed to obtain contrast level information for the pixels of the detected image. This contrast level information may then be used to obtain an increased contrast image of the recovered hologram, which may increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the recovered data.

Abstract: A method for processing data pixels in a holographic data storage system is disclosed. The method includes assigning predetermined reserved blocks throughout each data page, where each reserved block comprises known pixel patterns, determining position errors of the data page by computing the best match between regions of the data page and the predetermined reserved blocks, and compensating the data pixels at the detector in accordance with the corresponding position errors of the data page.

Abstract: A holographic recording medium having a polymer matrix comprising a developer, wherein the holographic recording medium is capable of recording a latent hologram and the developer is capable of developing the latent hologram into a readable hologram by activation of the developer is disclosed. The holographic recording medium is capable of storing large numbers of holograms in the same volume with better signal resolution than previous holographic media by first recording a multitude of latent (or very weak) holograms in the same volume of space, then applying preferably a non-chemical fixing step to develop the latent holograms into readable holograms. The holographic recording medium and method of this invention cause the holograms to increase in diffraction efficiency, thus preventing complications caused during recording of holograms whereby previously recorded holograms interfere with latter recorded holograms in the same volume of space within the media.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a device for sensing an absolute position of an encoded object, comprising: a position tracking module comprising: a track illumination module configured to illuminate the encoded object with one more light beams, and to detect one or more light beams resulting from said illumination of said encoded object; and an absolute position determinator configured to determine the absolute position of the encoded object based on said one or more light beams resulting from said illumination of said encoded object.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for recovering data in a holographic memory system. One embodiment of these systems and methods uses homodyne detection to introduce a local oscillator beam into a reconstructed data beam of the recovered hologram. An image of the combined beam comprising the reconstructed data beam and local oscillator beam may be processed to obtain contrast level information for the pixels of the detected image. This contrast level information may then be used to obtain an increased contrast image of the recovered hologram, which may increase the SNR of the recovered data.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a device for sensing an absolute position of an encoded object, comprising: a position tracking module comprising: a track illumination module configured to illuminate the encoded object with one more light beams, and to detect one or more light beams resulting from said illumination of said encoded object; and an absolute position determinator configured to determine the absolute position of the encoded object based on said one or more light beams resulting from said illumination of said encoded object.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recovering data in a holographic memory system. The systems and methods use homodyne detection to introduce a local oscillator beam into a reconstructed data beam of the recovered hologram. An image of the combined beam comprising the reconstructed data beam and local oscillator beam may be processed to obtain contrast level information for the pixels of the detected image. This contrast level information may then be used to obtain an increased contrast image of the recovered hologram, which may increase the SNR of the recovered data.

Abstract: A method for adjusting at least one alignment control axis of a holographic data storage system or device to or towards a sufficiently optimal recovery position for recovery of a hologram based on a derived feedback error signal and/or a derived feed-forward signal. For the next hologram in the sequence, the derived feedback error signal estimates the direction and magnitude of misalignment of the at least one alignment control axis for one or more previously recovered holograms based on alignment-indicating data. The derived feed-forward signal estimates an optimal alignment value for the at least one alignment control axis for one or more holograms based on recording and recovery operating condition data for the holograms. An iterative alignment procedure may also be used to derive a feedback error signal for one hologram.