OPTICAL DISK STORAGE SYSTEM AND HEAD APPARATUS THEREFOR

摘要

An optical storage system is described which utilizes the principles of optical stethoscopy to provide subwavelength resolving power thus allowing high areal bit density to be achieved. The optical head includes one or more optical elements mounted on a slider which is in physical, sliding contact with the recording medium. Optical elements couple a light beam to a submicron optical aperture formed in the lower surface of the slider to be transmitted to the storage medium. The slider is fabricated from a crystalline material which has a non-linear load versus friction characteristic in the negative load region. When the head is in sliding contact with the recording medium surface, a restoring force is generated which maintains the optical head in physical contact with the recording medium overcoming any lifting forces generated by the moving air layer adjacent the recording medium surface. This restoring force also allows the head to be operated with a negative external load applied. Utilizing an optical head having the light transmission aperture formed in the slider in close proximity to the storage medium surface allows high density recording to be achieved without the requirement of an electro-mechanical servo system to provide beam focusing for the system.