Abstract: The present invention comprises a solid-state system for reading information from a photonics diffractive memory. An acousto-optic deflector directs a convergent light beam onto a micr-mirror array which then reflects the light beam onto the photonics diffractive memory at a predetermined point and angle so as to access a packet of information. The compact architecture for this diffractive optics systems in accordance with the present invention integrates a number of components into a compact package, including an acousto-optic deflector and a microoptoelectromechanical system (MOEMS) mirror array whose elements oscillate with a sznchronized frequency adapted to that of the acousto-optic deflector. This architecture reduces the addressing component of a reading system for a photonics diffractive memory to a matchbox size.

Abstract: A photonics data storage system according to the present invention is described comprising a storage material, a data recording/storage apparatus for recording information in this storage material, and an addressing/data reading apparatus for reading the recorded information from this storage material. The photonics data storage system encodes data in the storage medium by an interferometric recording process. The storage medium is composed of a polypeptide material. The polypeptide material comprises a solution of chromium-doped collagen, in which solution ? and ? chains are predominantly present in proportions such that an ?/? ratio is greater than 1.