Patent ID: 7072267

Claim:
A method for recording and reading back literal analog color or black-and-white images comprising the steps of: (a) Preparing or obtaining a medium of known optical properties which has a flat, highly polished surface, and has coated upon this surface one or more optical thin films (ranging in thickness between 1/1000 and 100 times the wavelength of light to be used) made from materials of known optical properties, of controlled and known thickness, with adjacent layers made from different materials; (b) Milling, with the focused ion beam, under medium (10 −7 -10 −8 torr) to high (10 −9 -10 −11 torr) vacuum, or implanting ions into, under medium (10 −7 -10 −8 torr) to high (10 −9 -10 −11 torr) vacuum and then performing a subsequent wet etch to, the outermost layer or layers to specified, controlled depths from the original surface at different positions in the plane of the medium surface, corresponding to the appropriate colors, tints and hues of the original image; (c) Illuminating the medium thus prepared with an optical magnifying system that focuses white light, or light of three specific colors in narrow wavelength bands (e.g. Red, Green, and Blue,) for color images, or light from a single, narrow wavelength band (ranging from Xray wavelengths to the IR,) perpendicular to the milled surface, and has a point of observation to monitor the light reflected from, or transmitted through, and in a direction perpendicular to, the prepared surface.