New Method of Two-photon Multi-layer Optical Disc Storage

Bing JIANG, Zhaolong SHEN, Jianwen CAI, Huohong TANG, Hui XING, Wenhao HUANG (Department of Precision Machinery and Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of china, Hefei 230027)
ABSTRACT
Multi-layer data storage based on nonlinear effect caused by two-photon absorption is an attractive approach in the field of mass data storage. A two-photon multi-layer optical disc storage system with disc rotation structure has been proposed. The multi-layer fluorescent disc used in this system consists of three layers. A transparent substrate (under layer) and a thin reflective layer (middle layer) are bonded together forming a kind of structure similar to DVD disc, which is necessary to servo the vertical and radial deviation. Two-photon bits are recorded in top layer. The storage system has two modules: servo module and confocal module. The former keeps following the vertical and radial deviations by means of focusing and tracking servo technologies used in current two-dimensional optical storage devices, so the system can be compatible with CD/DVD. According to the driving signal of actuators in servo pick-up, the confocal module can also follow the disc deviation in both recording and reading processes. The servo module has been finished and the result of preliminary experiment is presented. Using the actuator and the objective lens (NA 0.6) in SANYO pick-up, we successfully recorded and read three data layers in photobleaching material with a homemade femtosecond laser. The layer separation was 15m and the transverse bit separation was 4 m. Keywords: Three-dimensional optical data storage, Two-photon absorption, multi-layer disc; confocal fluorescent microscope

1.

INTRODUCTION

The need for data storage is explosive, triggered by the development of multimedia and electronic communication networks. But the bit size in conventional two-dimensional optical memories is limited to approximately half of the wavelength, and we have nearly reached this limitation. Using shorter wavelength will increase the density by only roughly a factor of 10. Although DVD storage technology has realized double side dual layer disc (DS-DL), the scatter and the interference between layers caused by laser coherence will limit the layer increase if we memorize more layers with the reflective method. In 1989, Rentzepis brought forward the three-dimensional optical data storage by means of two-photon absorption (TPA) 1. TPA is a nonlinear optical process, in which a molecule is excited to an electronic state of higher energy by the simultaneous absorption of two separated photons. Since then, the research on three-dimensional optical data storage using the nonlinear effect has shown much progress2-9. These researches relied on highly localized light excitation and modification of material properties induced by two-photon or multi-photon absorption. The advantage of a multi-layer three-dimensional optical memory over conventional memory based on two-dimensional recording would be the possibility of stacking the bit planes without an increase in the memory size per area. Theoretical studies have shown that high capacities (up to 1012 bits/cm3) and high data transfer rates (1~100Gbits/s) could be obtained10. As far as the structure of three-dimensional optical storage is concerned, disc rotation is a promising approach, which is compatible with current two-dimensional optical storage technology. In this paper, a two-photon multi-layer optical disc storage system with disc rotation structure was described. The experimental results of preliminary research were presented, and three data layers in photobleaching material were demonstrated.

2.

TWO-PHOTON MULTI-LAYER OPTICAL DISC STORAGE SYSTEM

Disc rotation driven by spindle motor will inevitably bring vertical (focus direction) and radial (tracking direction) deviation. The amplitudes of vertical and radial deviation are about 0.2~0.4mm and 0.2mm respectively11, which seriously affect the disc recording. Current two-dimensional optical storage devices (CD/DVD) precisely focus the laser whuang@ustc.edu.cn; phone:+86-551-3603372; fax: +86-551-3603372
2nd International Symp. on Adv. Optical Manufac. and Testing Tech.: Optical Test and Measurement Tech. and Equip., X. Hou, J. Yuan, J. C. Wyant, H. Wang, S. Han, Eds., Proc. of SPIE Vol. 6150, 61503Q, (2006) 0277-786X/06/$15 doi: 10.1117/12.676491 Proc. of SPIE Vol. 6150 61503Q-1

beam on disc channel by means of the focusing and tracking servo technologies. The accuracy of focusing servo reaches 0.1m, and that of tracking servo reaches 0.05m11. Based on this fact, Storage material Reflective layer we have designed a kind of two-photon multi-layer optical disc storage system with disc rotation structure. The system is composed of two modules: servo module and confocal module. The former follows disc deviation and the confocal module records and reads three-dimensional data bits with twophoton confocal fluorescent method. Transparent substrate The two-photon multi-layer fluorescent disc used in this system consists of three layers, which is shown in Figure 1. The under layer is transparent Figure 1. Structure of the two-photon multisubstrate with a thickness of 0.6mm. A very thin reflective layer with pit and layer fluorescent disc land structure locates in the middle of the disc. Two layers are bonded together forming a kind of structure similar to DVD disc, which is necessary to servo the vertical and radial deviation utilizing the focusing and tracking servo technologies. Three-dimensional bits are recorded in top layer. The material of top layer can be various according to the storage method. Considering the bit size induced by two-photon absorption and the track pitch on DVD disc, the track pitch in top layer could be 4.44m (six times than DVD disc). A thicker top layer can increase the storage capacity, but the aberration will also become more serious, which can jeopardize the recording and reading processes. So, the appropriate thickness of top layer could be 0.6mm. The fact that some kinds of aberrations could be compensated for by altering parameters of the storage system has been reported12-13. Therefore the top layer can be thicker and the storage density per disc can be higher. Figure 2 shows the schematic diagram of the two-photon multi-layer disc storage system. The servo module under multi-layer fluorescent disc keeps following the reflective layer by means of the servo technology used in current optical disc system; thereby the servo module can also read CD/DVD disc. Meanwhile the servo module extracts the driving signal of actuators in servo pick-up. According to the extracted signal, confocal module above the disc moves the objective lens in recording pick-up to keep synchronized following the disc deviations, which realizes the focusing and tracking in three-dimensional storage process. Lately we have finished the servo module using DVD player system-on-chip (SOC) MT1389. Figure 3 shows the driving signal of focusing actuator in servo pickup when turning speed of the spindle motor is 0.8 r/s. The wave pattern demonstrates the periodicity of deviation, which is related to the turning speed of spindle motor. The confocal module records and reads three-dimensional data bits using two-photon confocal fluorescent method. A
Personal computer

Confocal module
Laser Filter

PMT Pinhole Lens Expander

Amplifier Filter Dichroic mirror

Shutter

Recording pick-up

Gain Gain

Disc

Servo module

Spindle motor

Servo pick-up

Figure 2. Schematic diagram of the two-photon multi-layer disc storage system. The servo module follows the disc deviation. The confocal module records and reads the three-dimensional data bits in disc top layer.

high-peak-power pulsed laser is used as excitation source. The excitation time of recorded bit and the intensity of laser beam are controlled by a shutter linked to a personal computer. The pulsed laser passing through a beam expender, a

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dichroic mirror and the recording pick-up is focused in selected depth of top layer of the two-photon multi-layer fluorescent disc to record the data bits. In the reading process, the pulsed laser ray, whose intensity has been attenuated, is focused on the target layer through the same path with the recording process. The fluorescent signal (from data bits) is extracted from the mixed light by the dichroic mirror and a suitable band pass filter, then converges at a photomultiplier tube (PMT) after a lens and a pinhole. The 1 pinhole in front of PMT acts as a spatial filter, which can reduce the interference from adjacent layers effectively. Certainly, a CW light can replace the pulsed laser as exciting source in reading process. The detail will be described elsewhere. Whether the recording and servo pick-up can keep synchronized following the disc deviation is very -1 important in both recording and reading processes. As far as the deviation induced by disc rotation (hundreds DC couIing. 5.OEO V/div. microns) and two-photon bit size (several microns) are concerned, the whole system cannot function without 4 5 3 2 1 0 servo module. The accuracy of focusing and tracking servo Time/s technologies used in this system can fulfill the need of Figure 3. Driving signal of focusing actuator in the servo multi-layer storage. During recording and reading pick-up when turning speed of the spindle motor is 0.8 r/s. processes, the confocal module adds focus driving signal offered by the servo module to layer-selection signal, and then drives the focusing actuator of recording pick-up following vertical deviation after gain adjustment. To follow the radial deviation, the confocal module controls the tracking actuator of recording pick-up with the track driving signal after gain adjustment. Changing the layer-selection signal can record and read different layers in the multi-layer fluorescent disc.
Voltage/V
400

3.

EXPERIMENT AND RESULTS

Distance/m

Utilizing the actuator and the objective lens in SANYO pick-up (SF-400 HD60S), we have carried out a preliminary experiment: multi-layer storage with single actuator. -800 To get characteristic of the focusing actuator, we tested the SANYO pickup with laser interferometer. Figure 4 shows the characteristic curve of -1200 -800 -400 0 400 800 focusing actuator. A linear part with a range of 1mm exists at the balance point (driving voltage is 0V), which could satisfy the need of layer Voltage/mV selection. Figure 4. Characteristic curve of focusing actuator A novel 4, 4-bis (9-carbazyl-trans-styryl)-biphenylBCSBPwas used as photobleaching data storage material. Figure 5 shows the molecular structure14. A polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) polymer film doped with the BCSBP was made by homogeneously dissolving the BCSBP (0.02g) and PMMA (0.1g) in 1 ml chloroform and dropping on a slide glass substrate to make film with a thickness about 120 m in the ambient air at room temperature. Figure 6 (a) shows the absorption spectra of the prepared film. The film (before excitation) is able to be excited under ultraviolet illumination (one-photon absorption) at a wavelength of 400nm and no absorption Figure 5. Molecular structure of the diphenylethylene occurs at 800 nm. Therefore the prepared film could be used derivant, which is used as photobleaching data storage material to recording two-photon bits with an 800 nm pulsed laser. Figure 6 (b) shows the two-photon-induced fluorescence spectra of the BCSBP doped PMMA film. The fluorescent intensity of the film before excitation is greater than that of

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the film after excitation. Considering the remarkable difference of fluorescence intensity, the recording bits (after excitation) can be easily distinguished from the surrounding area (before excitation) under two-photon excitation with the 800 nm pulsed laser. So, we utilized the 800 nm pulsed laser in both recording and reading processes. We replaced the objective lens in confocal fluorescent microscope with the actuator and the objective lens (NA 0.6) in SANYO pick-up. A homemade mode-locked Ti: sapphire laser was used as an excitation source at 800nm with an
After UV excitation Before UV excitation Fluorescence intensity After UV excitation Before UV excitation

1.2

Absorbance

1.0

0.0 0.6 0.4 0.2

-0.2 300

400

500

600

Wavelength/nm

Wavelength/nm

(a)

(b)

Fig 6 (a) Absorption spectra of the BCSBP doped PMMA film before and after UV excitation. (b) Twophoton-induced fluorescence spectra of the BCSBP doped PMMA film before and after UV excitation.

average power of 400mW for two-photon excitation. The pulse width was 80 fs with a repetition rate of 80MHz15. The objective lens was moved vertically by the actuator to select target layer. Two-dimensional platform controlled the horizontal scanning. Three data layers were memorized in above-mentioned film. Eight binary numbers together with calibration line and calibration column were recorded in each layer. Figure 7 (a) shows the second data layer. Bit data were recorded with exposure time about 35 ms under the average excitation power about 12 mW, and the images were read nondestructively
Intensity Distribution

J...a.

:0

170 160 150 Grey level 140 130 120 110 100 90 0 50 100 150 Pixel 200 250 300

:4:
t

(a)

.Ir.

..

....

(b)

Figure 7. (a) Second data layer in photobleaching material, Eight binary numbers together with calibration line and calibration column were recorded. The layer separation was 15m and the transverse bit separation was 4 m. (b) Signal of data line extracted from second layer with MATLAB software.

at an average excitation power 46W, being far lower than the photobleaching threshold. The layer separation was 15m and the transverse bit separation was 4 m. Figure 7 (b) illustrates the signal of data line extracted from second layer with MATLAB software, and the signal-to-noise ratio of data line is good enough for MATLAB to identify each bit. The recognized result was identical with the recorded data.

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4.

CONCLUSION

Based on focusing and tracking servo technologies used in current two-dimensional optical storage devices, a twophoton multi-layer optical disc storage system with disc rotation structure has been proposed. The confocal module follows vertical and radial deviations caused by disc rotation according to the driving signal of actuators in servo pickup. So, the two-photon multi-layer fluorescent disc will be record and read accurately. Also the storage system can be compatible with CD/DVD disc employing servo module. The driving signal of actuator offered by the finished servo module was illustrated and the result of preliminary experiment was presented. Using the actuator and the objective lens (NA 0.6) in SANYO pick-up head, we successfully recorded and read three data layers in photobleaching material with a homemade femtosecond laser. The layer separation was 15m and the transverse bit separation was 4 m. Further experiment is under way.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work is supported by NSFC (No. 50275140 and No. 50335050).

REFERENCES
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