Abstract: Novel composites or solid solutions made from heretofore immiscible chemical components and methods for making such composites or solid solutions. A wall of a deposition cell is cooled to a temperature within the range of about -273.degree. C. to about -20.degree. C. A solid host component and one or more guest components are vaporized and codeposited onto the cold wall of the deposition cell so as to form a solid solution. The resultant solid solutions are stable at room temperature and often at much higher temperatures. The present invention also provides methods for modifying the surface structure of solid materials.

Abstract: An optical recording media as well as methods and apparatus for reading and writing on the novel media are provided. The novel media has the property of birefringence, and information is stored thereon by modifying the birefringence of the storage media at selected locations and leaving the birefringence of the storage media intact at other selected locations. Alternatively, information is stored by inducing birefringence onto the storage media only at selected locations. The information may be stored either in a binary format, or in a multi-level (or analog) format. In a birefringent material wherein birefringence is formed by stretching, a pulse from a focused laser is utilized to modify the birefringence at selected locations by the application of thermal energy. The recorded information is read by passing polarized light through the material and ascertaining whether the polarized light was modulated as it passed through the various selected locations.