Abstract:
A holographic storage system includes a beam supplying unit for supplying an incident beam including data read from a plurality of tracks on a holographic medium; a transferring unit for receiving the incident beam and producing a focused beam; a tracking servo unit for receiving a first portion of the focused beam through a plurality of pinholes and reflecting a second portion of the focused beam back to the transferring unit through a reflecting section simultaneously, wherein the tracking servo unit moves the transferring unit or the pinholes to adjust the amount of the first portion of the focused beam to thereby retrieve data from a target track, and wherein the second portion of the focused beam reflected back to the transferring unit is converted into a return beam by the transferring unit; and a focusing servo unit for compensating for vertical movements of the holographic medium.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a holographic digital data storage system; and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling tracking and focusing of a laser beam on a disk of a holographic medium while the disk is rotating during playback. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   As is well known, demands for a holographic digital data storage system that can store a large amount of data have been increasing. Therefore, various types of holographic digital data storage systems have been recently developed for realizing high density optical storage capabilities. 
   The holographic digital data storage system, e.g., a holographic ROM system, allows a modulated signal beam carrying digital data (to be stored) to interfere with a reference beam to generate an interference pattern therebetween and, then, controls the interference pattern to be stored in a storage medium, e.g., a disk-shaped holographic medium, made of, e.g., an optical refractive crystal. The optical refractive crystal is a material which may react differently on different amplitudes and phases of the interference pattern. 
   In the holographic digital data storage system, various holograms can be recorded in a same spatial location by changing the angle of incidence of the reference beam (angular multiplexing), so that holograms can be stored in the holographic medium. After the holograms are recorded in the holographic medium, the disk-shaped holographic medium is inserted into, e.g., a holographic ROM player for replaying the holograms recorded in the holographic medium. 
   During playback, only a reference beam, which is preferably identical to that employed during the recording operation, is irradiated onto the holographic medium. The reference beam is then diffracted by the interference pattern recorded in the holographic medium to thereby reproduce the recorded binary data. 
     FIG. 1  shows a conventional holographic ROM system during playback (see “Holographic ROM system for high-speed replication”, ISOM/ODS 2002, pp 144˜146). The conventional holographic ROM system includes a light source  1 ; a beam reducer  2 ; mirrors  3   a ,  3   b ; and a holographic medium  4 . 
   The light source  1  emits a reference beam with a constant wavelength, e.g., a wavelength of 532 nm. The reference beam is then provided to the beam reducer  2  for reducing the beam size of the reference beam down to a predetermined size. The reduced reference beam is reflected by the mirror  3   a  toward the mirror  3   b . Thereafter, the mirror  3   b  reflects the reference beam toward a location of the holographic medium  4 . The mirror  3   b  can be, e.g., rotated for reflecting the reference beam toward another layer of the holographic medium  4 . The reference beam is then diffracted by the interference pattern recorded in the holographic medium  4  to thereby produce a regenerated beam. 
     FIG. 2  presents a conventional pickup device for replaying data recorded on a plurality of tracks of the holographic medium  4  of  FIG. 1  in a holographic ROM player. The pickup device includes lenses  5 ,  6 ,  8 ; a pinhole  7 ; and a detector  9 . In case the reference beam is incident on a location of the holographic medium  4  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the regenerated beam is emitted from the location of the holographic medium  4 . Since the size of the regenerated beam is, e.g., 100 μm, and a track pitch, which represents a spacing between tracks on the holographic medium  4 , is, e.g., 0.74 μm, the regenerated beam includes therein quantities of data which are read from hundreds of tracks on the holographic medium  4 . 
   Then, the regenerated beam is incident on the lens  5  which collimates the regenerated beam. The collimated beam is provided to the lens  6 , which focuses the collimated beam at the pinhole  7  to thereby produce a focused laser beam. The focused laser beam including the quantities of data read from the hundreds of tracks is sifted through the pinhole  7 , thereby being converted into the sifted laser beam including only data read from a target track. Subsequently, the sifted laser beam including only the data read from the target track is provided to the lens  8 , which focuses the sifted laser beam at the detector  9 . The detector  9  detects the data read from the target track in order to replay the hologram recorded on the target track. 
   However, the plurality of tracks formed on the holographic medium  4  are in a spiral shape and the holographic medium  4  may wobble when the holographic medium  4  rotates during playback. Therefore, a pickup apparatus is required for controlling the tracking and the focusing of the laser beam on a target track of the holographic medium  4 . However, such a pickup apparatus for reproducing data from the disk-shaped holographic medium is not yet available although pickup apparatuses for either CD players or DVD players have already been commercialized. 
   Therefore, there has existed a need for a pickup apparatus for data reproduction in a holographic storage system to control minute changes in the tracking or the focusing operation. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a pickup apparatus and method for controlling a tracking and focusing servo in a holographic storage system, capable of tracking and focusing a laser beam on a target track of a holographic medium. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a holographic apparatus including: a transferring unit for receiving an incident laser beam including data read from a plurality of tracks on a holographic medium to produce a focused laser beam; a tracking servo unit for receiving a first portion of the focused laser beam through a plurality of pinholes and, at the same time, reflecting a second portion of the focused laser beam back to the transferring unit through a reflecting section, wherein the tracking servo unit moves the transferring unit or the pinholes to adjust the amount of the first portion of the focused laser beam to thereby retrieve data from a target track among the plurality of tracks, and wherein the second portion of the focused laser beam reflected back to the transferring unit is converted into a return laser beam by the transferring unit; and a focusing servo unit for focusing the return laser beam and then checking a focused image of the return laser beam to compensate for vertical movements of the holographic medium. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a holographic apparatus including: a beam supplying unit for supplying an incident laser beam including data read from a plurality of tracks on a holographic medium; a focusing lens for focusing the incident laser beam at pinholes to thereby produce a focused laser beam; a pinhole plate for receiving a first portion of the focused laser beam through the pinholes and, at the same time, reflecting a second portion of the focused laser beam back to the focusing lens; a trisection detector for detecting the amount of the first portion of the focused laser beam passing through each of the pinholes; and an actuator for moving either the pinhole plate or the focusing lens to control the amount of the first portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinholes for replaying a target track on the holographic medium, wherein the second portion of the focused laser beam reflected back to the focusing lens is converted into a return laser beam by the focusing lens, and wherein a focus servo unit focuses the return laser beam and then checks the focused image of the return laser beam to compensate for vertical movements of the holographic medium. 
   In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a holographic method including the steps of: (a) producing an incident laser beam by irradiating a reference beam onto a holographic medium having a plurality of tracks; (b) focusing the incident laser beam by a focusing lens, to thereby produce a focused laser beam; (c) receiving a first portion of the focused laser beam through pinholes which are located at a pinhole plate and, at the same time, reflecting a second portion of the focused laser beam back to the focusing lens by the pinhole plate; (d) detecting the amount of the first portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinholes; and (e) moving either the pinhole plate or the focusing lens to control the amount of the first portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinholes for replaying a target track on the holographic medium, wherein the second portion of the focused laser beam reflected back to the focusing lens is converted into a return laser beam by the focusing lens, and wherein a focus servo unit focuses the return laser beam and then checks the focused image of the return laser beam to compensate for vertical movements of the holographic medium. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a conventional holographic storage system during playback; 
       FIG. 2  presents a conventional pickup device for replaying data recorded on a plurality of tracks of a holographic medium in the holographic storage system; 
       FIG. 3  depicts an exemplary pickup apparatus for controlling a tracking and focusing servo in a holographic storage system in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  represents a pinhole plate adopted in the pickup apparatus of  FIG. 3  in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a pinhole plate which can be substituted for the pinhole plate of  FIG. 4  in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 3  depicts a pickup apparatus for controlling a tracking and focusing servo in, e.g., a holographic ROM player, in accordance with the present invention. The holographic ROM player has a function of replaying, e.g., reading, data recorded on a disk-shaped holographic medium which is inserted thereinto. The pickup apparatus includes lenses  10 ,  40 ,  60 ; a PBS (polarization beam splitter)  20 ; an astigmatic lens  25 ; a QWP (quarter wave plate)  30 ; a pinhole plate  50 ; a quadrant detector S 2 ; a trisection detector S 3 ; and an actuator S 4 . 
   Once holograms are recorded on a disk-shaped holographic medium S 1  by an angular multiplexing and/or a shift multiplexing, the recorded holograms can be reproduced during playback by irradiating a reference beam onto the holographic medium S 1 . The reference beam is then diffracted by the interference pattern recorded in the holographic medium S 1  to thereby produce a regenerated beam. Since the size of the regenerated beam, which corresponds to that of the reference beam, may be as large as, e.g., 100 μm, and a track pitch is, e.g., 0.74 μm, the regenerated beam includes quantities of data which are read from hundreds of tracks on the holographic medium S 1 . 
   The regenerated beam, which is of only one type of linear polarization, e.g., S-polarization, is provided to the lens  10 . Then, the lens  10  collimates the regenerated beam and a collimated beam is provided to the PBS  20  capable of transmitting, e.g., only a horizontally polarized laser beam, i.e., an S-polarized beam, and reflecting, e.g., a vertically polarized laser beam, i.e., a P-polarized beam. Since the collimated beam provided to the PBS  20  is S-polarized, the collimated beam is transmitted therethrough. And then, the transmitted collimated beam is provided to the QWP  30 . In general, a QWP can have the unique property of converting a circularly polarized light into a linearly polarized light and vice versa. More specifically, an S-polarized beam (or a P-polarized beam) is turned into a circularly polarized beam after passing through a QWP and then the circularly polarized beam is transformed into a P-polarized beam (or an S-polarized beam) after passing through the QWP once again. 
   Therefore, the QWP  30  converts the inputted S-polarized collimated beam into a circularly polarized collimated beam, which is then fed to the lens  40 . The lens  40  focuses the circularly polarized collimated beam at the pinhole plate  50 , because the pinhole plate  50  is located at a focal length of the lens  40 . That is, the lens  40  converts the circularly polarized collimated beam into a focused laser beam. More specifically, the collimated beam containing data read from, e.g., a (n−1)th, a nth and a (n+1)th track on the holographic medium S 1 , n being positive integer, is focused at the pinhole plate  50  to thereby provide a focused (n−1)th track S 32 , a focused nth track S 31  and a focused (n+1)th track S 33 , respectively, on the pinhole plate  50 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The nth track represents a target track to be read, and the (n−1)th and the (n+1)th tracks represent neighboring tracks nearest to the target track. The focused nth track S 31 , the focused (n−1)th track S 32  and the focused (n+1)th track S 33  are images of the nth, the (n−1)th and the (n+1)th tracks respectively, the images being focused on the pinhole plate  50 . 
   Although hundreds of tracks are focused on the pinhole plate  50 ,  FIG. 4  depicts only the focused nth track S 31 , the focused (n−1)th track S 32  and the focused (n+1)th track S 33  for the convenience of description. 
   The pinhole plate  50  is provided with pinholes SS 31 , SS 32 , SS 33 ; and a reflecting section SS 40  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The pinholes SS 31 , SS 32 , SS 33 ; and the reflecting section SS 40  are preferably of a rectangular shape, width of each of those being, e.g., 0.4 μm, which are slightly wider than those of tracks. The locations of the centers of the pinholes SS 31 , SS 32 , SS 33  preferably form an isosceles triangle on the pinhole plate  50 , the center of the pinhole SS 31  being an apex of the isosceles triangle. The center of the reflecting section SS 40  is preferably located above the center of the pinhole SS 31  on the pinhole plate  50 , so that a first line connecting the centers of the pinholes SS 32  and SS 33  is preferably perpendicular to a second line connecting the centers of the pinhole SS 31  and the reflecting section SS 40 . 
   Herein, the pinhole SS 31  is used for transmitting a first portion of the focused laser beam containing the data read from the target track to be replayed. Further, the pinholes SS 32 , SS 33  are used for controlling the tracking servo when the holographic medium S 1  rotates for data reproduction. In case the target track is properly traced, the pinhole SS 31  and the reflecting section SS 40  are located on the focused nth track S 31 . 
   In case a first center line CL 1  which bisects the focused nth track S 31  along the longitudinal direction of the focused tracks is coincident with a first bisecting line BL 1  and a fourth bisecting line BL 4  which bisect the pinhole SS 31  and the reflecting section SS 40  respectively along the longitudinal direction of the focused tracks, the first portion of the focused beam containing the data read from the nth track entirely passes through the pinhole SS 31 . Even in a case where, the first center line CL 1  is not precisely coincident with the first bisecting line BL 1  and the fourth bisecting line BL 4 , if the gap between the first bisecting line BL 1  and the first center line CL 1  is equal to or smaller than a half of the difference between widths of the pinhole SS 31  and the focused nth track S 31 , the first portion of the focused laser beam from the nth track S 31  entirely passes through the pinhole SS 31 . 
   The pinholes SS 32 , SS 33  are partially overlapped with the focused (n−1)th track S 32  and the focused (n+1)th track S 33  respectively. A second bisecting line BL 2  which bisects the pinhole SS 32  is positioned between the first center line CL 1  and a second center line CL 2  which bisects the focused (n−1)th track S 32  along the longitudinal direction of the focused tracks, and a third bisecting line BL 3  which bisects the pinhole SS 33  is positioned between the first center line CL 1  and a third center line CL 3  which bisects the focused (n+1)th track S 33  along the longitudinal direction of the focused tracks. 
   In case the amount of a second portion of the focused laser beam passing through the second pinhole SS 32  is the same as that of a third portion of the focused laser beam passing through the third pinhole SS 33 , the overlapped area of the focused (n−1)th track S 32  and the second pinhole SS 32  may be identical to that of the focused (n+1)th track S 33  and the third pinhole SS 33 . That is, the gap between the second center line CL 2  and the second bisecting line BL 2  becomes identical to that between the third center line CL 3  and the third bisecting line BL 3 . Therefore, the first portion of the focused laser beam containing the data read from the nth track entirely passes through the pinhole SS 31 . 
   However, the first portion of the focused laser beam containing the data read from the nth track may not entirely pass through the pinhole SS 31  as time goes by during playback, because a plurality of tracks formed on the holographic medium S 1  have a spiral shape and because the holographic medium S 1  may wobble. 
   In case the first, the second and the third pinhole SS 31 , SS 32 , SS 33  are moved toward the focused (n−1)th track S 32  either due to a spiral structure of the tracks or due to a wobbling of the holographic medium S 1 , the overlapped area of the focused (n−1)th track S 32  and the second pinhole SS 32  becomes larger than that of the focused (n+1)th track S 33  and the third pinhole SS 33 . Therefore, the amount of the second portion of the focused laser beam passing through the second pinhole SS 32  becomes larger than that of the third portion of the focused laser beam passing through the third pinhole SS 33 . 
   On the other hand, if the first, the second and the third pinhole SS 31 , SS 32 , SS 33  are moved toward the focused (n+1)th track S 33  either due to the spiral structure of the tracks or due to the wobbles of the holographic medium S 1 , the overlapped area of the focused (n−1)th track S 32  and the second pinhole SS 32  becomes smaller than that of the focused (n+1)th track S 33  and the third pinhole SS 33 . Therefore, the amount of the second portion of the focused laser beam passing through the second pinhole SS 32  becomes smaller than that of the third portion of the focused laser beam passing through the third pinhole SS 33 . 
   A part of the focused laser beam passing through the first, the second and the third pinholes SS 31 , SS 32 , SS 33  is provided to the lens  60 . The lens  60  focuses the part of the focused laser beam at the trisection detector S 3 . In case the amount of the second portion of the focused laser beam passing through the second pinhole SS 32  is not identical to that of the third portion of the focused laser beam passing through the third pinhole SS 33 , the trisection detector S 3  sends an information signal, which indicates which of the amounts of the second portion and the third portion is larger, to the actuator S 4 . Then, the actuator S 4  controls the position of either the lens  40  or the pinhole plate  50  in a direction parallel with the holographic medium S 1 , to thereby adjust the amount of the second portion of the focused laser beam passing through the second pinhole SS 32  to be identical to that of the third portion of the focused laser beam passing through the third pinhole SS 33 . Thus, the first portion of the focused laser beam containing the data read from the nth track entirely passes through the first pinhole SS 31 , to thereby complete the tracking servo procedure. The above-mentioned tracking servo procedure is executed microscopically. However, a macroscopic tracking servo procedure, which is well known to those skilled in the art, is executed by moving the entire pickup apparatus. 
   In the meantime, when the lens  40  focuses the circularly polarized collimated beam to thereby provide the circularly polarized focused laser beam to the pinhole plate  50 , the reflecting section SS 40  reflects the circularly polarized focused laser beam back to the lens  40 . Then, the lens  40  converts the reflected circularly polarized focused laser beam into a reflected circularly polarized collimated beam which is provided to the QWP  30 . 
   Thereafter, the QWP  30  transforms the reflected circularly polarized collimated beam into a P-polarized collimated beam and then provides the P-polarized collimated beam to the PBS  20 . Since the P-polarized collimated beam is reflected by the PBS  20 , the astigmatic lens  25  receives the P-polarized collimated beam from the PBS  20 . Then, the astigmatic lens  25 , which has a conventional configuration to include a focusing lens and a cylindrical lens, irradiates the P-polarized collimated beam onto the quadrant detector S 2  in order to compensate for vertical movements of the holographic medium S 1 , i.e., to execute the focusing servo procedure. The focusing procedure is preferably executed by moving either the lens  40  or the pinhole plate  50  in a direction normal to the holographic medium S 1 . The focusing servo procedure employing the astigmatic lens  25  and the quadrant detector S 2  is well known to those skilled in the art. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates a pinhole plate  50 ′ which can be substituted for the pinhole plate  50  in the pickup apparatus of  FIG. 3  in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   The functions of the other parts of the pickup apparatus of the second preferred embodiment except the pinhole plate  50 ′ are basically identical to those of the first preferred embodiment, so that detailed explanation thereabout is abbreviated. 
   For the convenience of description,  FIG. 5  depicts only a focused target track S 11 , which is an image of the target track focused on the pinhole plate  50 ′ by the lens  40  of  FIG. 3 , although hundreds of tracks are focused thereon. 
   In the pinhole plate  50 ′, there are provided pinholes SS 11 , SS 12 , SS 13 ; and a reflecting section SS 20  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The pinholes SS 11 , SS 12 , SS 13 ; and the reflecting section SS 20  are preferably rectangular shape, widths thereof being, e.g., 0.4 μm, which are slightly wider than those of tracks. The locations of the centers of the pinholes SS 11 , SS 12 , SS 13  preferably form a first straight line on the pinhole plate  50 ′, the center of the pinhole SS 11  being a bisecting point of the first straight line. An angle between the first straight line and a second straight line connecting the centers of the reflecting section SS 20  and the pinhole SS 11  on the pinhole plate  50 ′ is preferably θ degree. Moreover, the pinholes SS 11 , SS 12 , SS 13 ; and the reflecting section SS 20  are not overlapped each other. 
   Herein, the pinhole SS 11  is used for transmitting the first portion of the focused laser beam containing the data read from the target track to be replayed. Further, the pinholes SS 12 , SS 13  are used for controlling the tracking servo when the holographic medium S 1  rotates for playback. In case the target track is properly replayed, all of the pinhole SS 11  and the reflecting section SS 20  are entirely overlapped with the focused target track S 11 , but the pinholes SS 12 , SS 13  are partially overlapped therewith. The angle θ can be varied only if the pinholes SS 12 , SS 13  are partially overlapped with the focused target track S 11  while the data on the target track is properly retrieved. 
   In case a center line CL 11  which bisects the focused target track S 11  along the longitudinal direction of the focused tracks is coincident with a bisecting line BL 11  and a bisecting line BL 20  which bisect the pinhole SS 11  and the reflecting section SS 20  respectively along the longitudinal direction of the focused tracks, the first portion of the focused beam containing the data read from the target track entirely passes through the pinhole SS 11 . Moreover, in case the center line CL 11  is not precisely coincident with the bisecting line BL 11  and the bisecting line BL 20 , if the gap between the bisecting line BL 11  and the center line CL 11  is equal to or smaller than a half of the difference between breadths of the pinhole SS 11  and the focused target track S 11 , the first portion of the focused laser beam entirely passes through the pinhole SS 11 . 
   In the meantime, the pinholes SS 12 , SS 13  are partially overlapped with the focused target track S 11 . In case a gap between a bisecting line BL 12  which bisects the pinhole SS 12  along the longitudinal direction of the focused tracks and the center line CL 11  is identical to that between a bisecting line BL 13  which bisects the pinhole SS 13  and the center line CL 11  along the longitudinal direction of the focused tracks, the first portion of the focused laser beam containing the data read from the target track entirely passes through the pinhole SS 11 . Since the overlapped area of the focused target track S 11  and the pinhole SS 12  is identical to that of the focused target track S 11  and the pinhole SS 13 , the amount of a second portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinhole SS 12  is the same as that of a third portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinhole SS 13 . 
   However, the first portion of the focused laser beam containing the data read from the target track may not entirely pass through the pinhole SS 11  as time goes by during playback, because a plurality of tracks formed on the holographic medium S 1  have shapes of spiral and because the holographic medium S 1  may wobble, as mentioned above. For example, if the focused target track S 11  is moved toward the pinhole SS 13  either due to a spiral structure of the tracks or due to a wobbling of the holographic medium S 1 , the overlapped area of the focused target track S 11  and the pinhole SS 13  becomes larger than that of the focused target track S 11  and the pinhole SS 12 . Therefore, the amount of the second portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinhole SS 12  becomes smaller than that of the third portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinhole SS 13 . Otherwise, if the focused target track S 11  is moved toward the pinhole SS 12  either due to the spiral structure of the tracks or due to the wobbles of the holographic medium S 1 , the overlapped area of the focused target track S 11  and the pinhole SS 12  becomes larger than that of the focused target track S 11  and the pinhole SS 13 . Therefore, the amount of the second portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinhole SS 12  becomes larger than that of the third portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinhole SS 13 . 
   A part of the focused laser beam passing through the pinholes SS 11 , SS 12 , SS 13  is provided to the lens  60 . The lens  60  focuses the part of the focused laser beam at the trisection detector S 3 . In case the amount of the second portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinhole SS 12  is not identical to that of the third portion of the focused laser beam passing through the pinhole SS 13 , the trisection detector S 3  sends the information signal, which indicates which of the amounts of the second portion and the third portion is larger, to the actuator S 4 , to thereby execute the tracking servo procedure as mentioned above. 
   On the other hand, the reflecting section SS 20  on the pinhole plate  50 ′ serves to execute the focusing servo procedure as mentioned above. 
   Since only one track is used for the tracking servo in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pickup apparatus can be applied to a first and a last track, which do not have two neighboring tracks nearest thereto. Moreover, since data are not recorded uniformly on the plurality of tracks of the holographic medium S 1 , the second preferred embodiment using only one track rather than three tracks can execute the tracking servo more accurately. 
   As such, the pickup apparatuses and methods of the preferred embodiments of the present invention can execute both the tracking servo and the focusing servo while the holographic data are being replayed by the holographic ROM player. Moreover, the pick apparatuses and methods of the preferred embodiments of the present invention can be applied to any holographic storage system which can be used for either writing or reading holographic data on or from the holographic medium. 
   While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.