Patent ID: 7199343
Filing Date: 2007-04-03
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
1. A method of optically storing information comprising the steps of: (a) providing a photon storage device comprising: a substrate used to house said photon storage device; at least one photon source adjacent to one end of said substrate; at least one input focus controller housed on said substrate adjacent said photon source, said input focus controller having at least one photon inlet aperture defined through said substrate and adapted to receive therethrough photons from said photon source, a reflective surface attached to said substrate adjacent said aperture, and a curved reflective surface attached to said substrate opposite said aperture and having a decreasing rate of curvature heading away from said aperture; at least one plateau region housed on said substrate and in communication with said input focus controller, said plateau region being adapted to receive reflected photons from said first and second reflective surfaces of said input focus controller, said plateau region having at least two opposing and parallel reflective surfaces attached to said substrate and adapted to reflect the photons from said input focus controller along the length of said plateau region; at least one output focus controller housed on said substrate and in communication with said plateau region opposite said input focus controller, said output focus controller having at least one aperture defined through said substrate and adapted to receive therethrough photons, a reflective surface attached to said substrate adjacent said aperture, and a curved reflective surface attached to said substrate opposite said aperture and having an increasing rate of curvature leading away from said plateau region; and at least one photon detector adjacent said aperture of said output focus controller; (b) converting an electrical signal to a photon pulse using said photon source, wherein said photon pulse corresponds to one bit of information; (c) determining the amount of photons to be stored by said photon storage device, wherein said photon storage amount being related to the length of said plateau region, the width of said plateau region, and a focused angle of incidence of the photons exiting said input focus controller and entering said plateau region; (d) injecting photons from said photon source through said aperture of said input focus controller at an angle of incidence to a first reflection point on said curve reflective surface of said input focus controller; (e) adjusting said curvature of said curved reflective surface of said input focus controller, said first reflection point, and said angle of incidence to create said desired focused angle of incidence of the photons entering said plateau region; (f) adjusting the length of said plateau region to produce said determined photon storage amount; (g) adjusting the width of said plateau region to produce said determined photon storage amount; (h) orientating said reflective surfaces of said plateau region so as to repeatedly reflect the photons along the length of said plateau region toward said output focus controller; (i) exiting the photons through said aperture of said output focus controller; and (j) detecting the photons exiting from said aperture of said output focus controller using said photon detector.