Holographic random access memory

Author

Liu, Wenhai ; Psaltis, Demetri

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA, USA

Volume

5

fYear

2000

fDate

2000

Firstpage

391

Abstract

We examine the primary challenges for building a practical and competitive holographic random access memory (HRAM) system, specifically for size, speed, and cost. We show that a fast HRAM system can be implemented with a compact architecture by incorporating conjugate readout, a pixel-matched sensor array, and a linear array of laser diodes. It provides faster random access time than hard disk (100 microseconds or less) and similar bandwidth as silicon storage with lower cost. Preliminary experimental results support the feasibility of this architecture. Our analysis shows that in order for the HRAM to become competitive, the principal tasks will be to reduce spatial light modulator (SLM) and detector pixel sizes to 1 μm, increase the output power of compact visible-wavelength lasers to several hundred milliwatts, and develop ways to raise the sensitivity of holographic media to the order of 1 cm/J

Keywords

holographic storage; laser beam applications; random-access storage; spatial light modulators; 100 microseconds; 100 mus; conjugate readout; cost; detector pixel sizes 1 μm; fast HRAM; feasibility; holographic random access memory; linear array of laser diodes; output power; pixel-matched sensor array; sensitivity 1 cm/J; size; spatial light modulator; speed; Buildings; Costs; Diode lasers; Hard disks; Holography; Optical arrays; Random access memory; Semiconductor laser arrays; Sensor arrays; Sensor systems;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Aerospace Conference Proceedings, 2000 IEEE

Conference_Location

Big Sky, MT

ISSN

1095-323X

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5846-5

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/AERO.2000.878513

Filename

878513