SLMs Enable Holographic Data Storage

For use in holographic data storage (HDS) devices, the company's Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs) allow data to be written to HDS disks, which offer a capacity 10 to 100 times greater than high-definition DVDs. The SLM is allegedly the first optical modulator designed exclusively for use in HDS devices. It employs the company’s FLCOS technology to deliver advantages such as high-speed writing, low overall cost due to integrated electronics, and simplified packaging. The component encodes information onto a data-carrying laser beam that is written into the holographic medium. The SLM maps the data into a checkerboard pattern of more than one million light and dark pixels. Other features include a resolution of 1,216 x 1,216 and a 1.1-kHz frame rate that enables HDS devices with a transfer rate of 20 MB/s. DISPLAYTECH INC., Longmont, CO. (800) 397-8124.