Integrated optical-disk pickup that uses a focusing grating coupler with a high numerical aperture

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Optical Data Storage

Background:

• Optical disk technology is crucial for data storage.
• Developing advanced pickup systems is key to improving data density and retrieval.
• Existing systems face limitations in resolution and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an integrated optical-disk pickup system.
• To assess the performance of a focusing grating coupler in optical disk readout.
• To verify signal resolution capabilities for 90-mm optical disks.

Main Methods:

• An integrated optical-disk pickup was designed and fabricated.
• A focusing grating coupler with a numerical aperture of 0.45 was utilized.
• Readout signals were detected from an International Standards Organization (ISO)-formatted 90-mm optical disk.

Main Results:

• The developed pickup successfully detected readout signals from the optical disk.
• The signal-amplitude ratio of the minimum-limit data pattern to the maximum was measured at 0.53 on the innermost track.
• This ratio meets the required signal resolution standards for optical disk storage devices.

Conclusions:

• The integrated optical-disk pickup with a focusing grating coupler is a viable technology.
• The system demonstrates sufficient signal resolution for practical optical disk applications.
• This development contributes to advancements in optical data storage technology.