Optical tape focal plane stabilizer

摘要

A tape stabilizer for stabilizing the focal plane area of an optical tape includes two radius contours adjacent to one another. As an optical tape passes across the stabilizer, an air bearing layer is formed. The air bearing layer suspends the tape above an apex of each contour and forms a stable tape surface between the apexes. It is at this stable tape surface that read and write operations can accurately be performed. An objective lens can be provided to focus a beam of light onto the tape for read and write operations.