Abstract: An optical device for polarizing light including a polarization altering element operatively coupled to a light path associated with the first light coupling device and the second light coupling device is described. The optical device may further include a first waveguide portion including a first layer having parallel plane surfaces with the first waveguide portion having a first light coupling device. The optical device may also include a second waveguide portion including a second layer having parallel plane surfaces with the second waveguide portion having a second light coupling device.

Abstract: An optical device including a first layer of a total internal reflection (TIR) waveguide and a second layer of the TIR waveguide is disclosed. The second layer of the TIR waveguide may be coupled to the first layer. The second layer may include an output coupling device configured to reflect light toward an exit face of the TIR waveguide. The output coupling device may include one or more diffractive gratings. The optical device may also include an input coupling face disposed on a non-diffractive edge portion the first layer or the second layer or both the first and second layer. The input coupling face may be configured to receive image light. Another optical device may include an input coupling face disposed on a non-diffractive input coupling element. The non-diffractive input coupling element may be positioned in an optical path for directing the image light to the TIR waveguide.

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: An optical reflective device for homogenizing light including a waveguide having a first and second waveguide surface and a partially reflective element is disclosed. The partially reflective element may be located between the first waveguide surface and the second waveguide surface. The partially reflective element may have a reflective axis parallel to a waveguide surface normal. The partially reflective element may be configured to reflect light incident on the partially reflective element at a first reflectivity for a first set of incidence angles and reflect light incident on the partially reflective element at a second reflectivity for a second set of incident angles.

Abstract: A system and method of performing incoherent light treatment is disclosed. The method may include securing a recording medium to a securing structure within an internal cavity and delivering light at least partially toward a baffle disposed within the internal cavity. The method may also include securing one or more diffusers to one or more surfaces of the recording medium.

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: 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: 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 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: A monocular holographic storage device or system to provide for compact recording and/or reading of data pages in a holographic storage medium. Also provided are methods for carrying out such data storage and/or data recovery using a monocular holographic storage device or system. Further provided are articles including holographic storage media for recording or for reading recorded data using such devices or systems.

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: Embodiments of systems and methods are provided for a tunable laser device. The tunable laser device may include a diffraction grating connected to a pivot arm that pivots the diffraction grating about a pivot point to tune the laser device. In pivoting the diffraction grating about the pivot point, both the wavelength to which the diffraction grating is tuned and the length of the optical cavity may be changed. The length of the pivot arm may be selected to reduce the number of mode hops of the tunable laser device when tuning the laser device over its tuning range.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for logically organizing data for storage and recovery on a data storage medium using a multi-level format. The present invention also provides systems and methods for protecting data stored on data storage medium so that the data may be recovered without errors.

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: According to one aspect and example, a method for recording holographic media and/or holographic master data masks includes recording at least a first hologram or information layer with a first holographic medium (e.g., a “submaster”) and recording at least a second information layer with a second holographic medium (e.g., a second “submaster”). The first information layer and the second information layer from the first and second holographic media are then sequentially reconstructed and stored with a single holographic master medium (e.g., a “master”). The holographic master may then be used to record the stored first and second information layers into additional holographic media, for example, into HROM devices or the like.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising: a processor for determining if a laser is operating in a single-mode state and for determining the degree to which one of one or more tunable parameters for the laser must be adjusted so that laser operates in a single-mode state if not operating in a single-mode state, wherein the one or more tunable parameters include the following parameters: the laser current and the wavelength of the output light. The apparatus may include a laser and/or a holographic storage medium. Also provided is a method for determining if a laser is operating in a single-mode state and for determining the degree to which one of one or more tunable parameters for the laser must be adjusted so that laser operates in a single-mode state if not operating in a single-mode state.

Abstract: Dynamic range enhancing dopants for photopolymeric media are described. Also described are optical articles using these dopants and methods for making such optical articles.

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: Dynamic range enhancing dopants for photopolymeric media are described. Also described are optical articles using these dopants and methods for making such optical articles.