Abstract: In a recording technique in which a plurality of light spots are simultaneously formed by using an ultra-short pulse laser and a spatial phase modulator, and a plurality of recording dots having refractive indexes different from those of the vicinities thereof are formed inside a recording medium, it is hard to make recording quality and a recording density compatible. Therefore, a plurality of dots are recorded at a predetermined dot pitch, and then other dots are recorded between the recorded dots.

Abstract: Upon receiving an erase command for data recorded in a write-once optical disc, an information recording device corrupts data in an information area (synchronization signal in Run-in, frame synchronization signal, address information and the like), in an erased area on the optical disc, in which information necessary for synchronization of reproducing data by overwriting the data in the information area with an erasing pattern. The erased area is specified by an erase starting position and a size of data to be erased. In this way, the information recording device erases the data in the erased area.

Abstract: In a method for driving a light-emitting diode (LED) device, a driving system is configured to: a) receive a number of driving signals, each corresponding to a period the LED device is to be activated; b) determine a number of repetitions for output of each of the driving signals; c) determine an average driving period for each of the driving signals; d) constructing a sequence list of driving signals to be sent to the LED device, the sequence list including a plurality of rows, each of the rows is numbered and includes two columns for containing respectively two entries of the driving signals therein; and e) sequentially transmit the two entries of the driving signals contained in each of the rows included in the sequence list to the LED device.

Abstract: A plasmon generator generates surface plasmon and generates near-field light from the surface plasmon at a distal end surface situated on an air bearing surface facing a magnetic recording medium. The plasmon generator has a first portion including the distal end surface, a second portion situated away from the air bearing surface, and a separating layer situated between the first portion and the second portion and separating the first portion from the second portion.

Abstract: An optical information device and an optical information processing method which can perform high-speed and accurate positioning are provided. An optical information device which reproduces information from and/or records information on an optical information recording medium on which interference patterns between signal light and reference light are recorded as a hologram includes: an optical system which emits an optical beam; an aperture unit which passes at least a portion of reproduced light acquired when the optical beam from the optical system is radiated onto the optical information recording medium; a first detection unit which detects at least a portion of the reproduced light; a second detection unit which detects the position of the aperture unit; and a control unit which, based on a first signal acquired from the first detection unit and a second signal acquired from the second detection unit, controls the position of the aperture unit.

Abstract: In general, techniques are described for monitoring health of a head in a magnetic data storage drive. A health controller may be configured to receive multi-variate sensor signals indicative of a respective reference value at least one head parameter, wherein the respective reference value is based in part on at least one initial measurement of parameters of the head obtained at a first time, determine a respective predicted current value based at least in part on a respective fixed-drift model and the multi-variate sensor signals, determine a respective actual current value that is based at least in part on at least one current measurement of the head obtained at a second time later than the first time, determine a health status for the head, and store the health status in memory.

Abstract: There are provided an optical disk and an optical disk recording method which are capable of stable data reading in a case where a recording linear density is increased. According to an optical disk of the present disclosure, a run-in pattern recorded in a groove track and a run-in pattern recorded in a land track are made different patterns so that no great change is caused in the amplitude of an acquired signal due to interference between adjacent recording patterns, and thus, data may be stably read.

Abstract: The optical information recording device includes a light source configured to emit a laser beam, an optical element configured to divide the laser beam into the reference beam and the signal beam, an angle control unit configured to control an angle of incidence of the reference beam on the optical information recording medium, and a phase control unit configured to control a phase of at least one of the signal beam and the reference beam in a recording period, wherein the angle control unit controls an angle interval so that a position of a 1st null of an adjacent page of the signal beam is fixed, and wherein the phase control unit controls the phase of the signal beam or the reference beam so that a phase difference between the adjacent pages is a predetermined value.

Abstract: A read/write head has an input coupler that receives light at a fundamental mode from an energy source. A mode converter of the read/write head converts light from the fundamental mode to a higher-order mode. The read/write head has a bent waveguide coupled to the mode converter at an interface. The bent waveguide includes a curve with a taper. The taper nullifies the fundamental mode generated in the curve and recovers the higher-order mode at an output of the bent waveguide. A near-field transducer that receives the output of the bent waveguide is offset from the facet of the input coupler in a cross-track direction.

Abstract: An optical information recording/reproducing apparatus and method thereof which compensate for the effect of mechanical instability on holographic data storage. A time dependent deviation profile of an optical beam during recording is determined. The time dependent deviation profile is related to a phase profile to be applied to a reference beam during recording or reproduction of a hologram, and the related phase profile is applied to the reference beam during recording or reproduction of the hologram.

Abstract: Provided is an optical information recording medium including: a continuously wobbling groove formed in advance by a CAV or a zone CAV. Information is allowed to be recorded on the groove and a land adjacent to the groove, address information is recorded by modulating the wobble, the address information includes a sync pattern indicating a position of the address information and address data, and the sync pattern includes a plurality of first wobble patterns and a second wobble pattern between the first wobble patterns, and at least part of intervals of the first wobble patterns are set to unequal intervals.

Abstract: An inspection method for a recordable optical disc includes focusing laser light on a recording layer and obtaining a data signal dependent on the laser light reflected by the recording layer. The inspection method also includes determining whether the optical disc includes a defect or not by identifying a first period every second period in the obtained data signal obtained, the first period being a period in which a signal level of the data signal is lower than a predetermined value, and each of the second periods corresponding to an ECC block, and outputting a result of the determination.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide a Gray code detector that is not designed to look for a specific defect signature, but rather looks for wedges that are in error or close to being in error, as determined through a probabilistic analysis that considers the mean and sigma of a minimum Viterbi Metric Margin (minVMM) distribution of a servo wedge relative to a defined threshold for a Wedge Error Rate (WER).

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write apparatus includes a laser for providing energy and resides in proximity to a media during use. The HAMR write apparatus includes a write pole that writes to a region of the media, coil(s) for energizing the write pole and a waveguide optically coupled with the laser. The waveguide includes at least one multi-mode interference (MMI) device. The MMI device has at least one input, a plurality of outputs, a propagation section and a multi-mode interference (MMI) section. Energy from the laser propagates through the propagation section before the MMI section. The propagation section expands the energy from the laser to a plurality of modes. A first portion of the outputs is output from the propagation section. The MMI section is between the propagation section and a second portion of the plurality of outputs.

Abstract: A holographic characterization and playback apparatus is provided, which includes a light source, an optical path-forming optical system for separating the light emitted from the light source into a probe light and a reference light of different polarizations, and combining optical paths of the probe light and the reference light.

Abstract: A method of controlling a touch screen which includes electrode pads provided in response to a display is provided, the method includes: performing a pre-scan of scanning the electrode pads under a deactivation mode of the display; confirming a first touch input during the pre-scan; performing a high-speed fine scan of scanning the electrode pads with a fine high frequency that is higher than a frequency for the pre-scan; evaluating a touch validity of the first touch input of the pre-scan via the high-speed fine scan; performing a fine scan of scanning the electrode pads that is higher than the frequency for the pre-scan and lower than the frequency of the high-speed fine scan, when the touch validity of the first touch input is satisfied; sensing a second touch input during the fine scan; and changing the display into an activation mode in response to the second touch input.

Abstract: A system, according to one embodiment, includes: a near field transducer, a return pole, a main pole, a waveguide adjacent the near field transducer, wherein the waveguide extends away from the near field transducer along a direction perpendicular to a media facing surface, at least one cladding layer adjacent to the waveguide, an underlayer positioned behind the near field transducer with respect to the media facing surface, the underlayer extending away from the near field transducer along the direction perpendicular to the media facing surface, and a fill material at least partially surrounding the underlayer, the waveguide and the at least one cladding layer. The underlayer has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the fill material. Other systems, and methods are described in additional embodiments.

Abstract: Provided are an optical information reproduction device and a method therefor with which the influence of reference light reflected from the surface of a disk can be reduced, thereby enabling data to be reproduced in a stable manner in an optical information reproduction device that uses holography.

Abstract: A system for compensating for heat induced transient phase shift in a heat assisted magnetic recording system. A heat assisted magnetic data recording system includes a near field thermal transducer that locally heats the media during writing. The thermal transducer, when activated, results in a change in size of a magnetic transition written to the magnetic media. This change in size of the thermal transition results in a transient phase shift of the data recorded on the magnetic media. The system includes circuitry for predetermining an anticipated amount of transient phase shift and adjusting a subsequent read signal to compensate for the known transient phase shift, thereby eliminating signal errors resulting from the transient phase shift.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus includes a synchronizer that generates a reproduction clock signal synchronized with a reproduction signal of information recorded in an optical disc medium, and generates a digital reproduction signal synchronized with the reproduction clock signal, an adaptive equalizer that generates a post-adaptive-equalization digital reproduction signal, and a maximum likelihood decoder that performs maximum likelihood decoding of the post-adaptive-equalization digital reproduction signal to generate a binary signal. The apparatus also includes an expected waveform generator that generates an expected waveform from the binary signal, a phase-advance waveform generator that generates a phase-advance waveform, a phase-delay waveform generator that generates a phase-delay waveform, and a metric detector that detects a phase error. In the optical disc apparatus, the synchronizer controls the phase of the digital reproduction signal using the phase error.