Erasable optical recording system

Abstract

Abstract A METHOD AND APPARATUS OF ERASABLE OPTICAL RECORDING WHEREIN THE APPARATUS COMPRISES A SEALED CONTAINER FILLED WITH AN ELECTROLYTE IN WHICH AN ANODE AND A CATHODE ELECTRODE ARE IMMERSED, THE ANODE BEING REACTIVE WITH THE ELECTROLYTE UNDER A CONDITION OF APPLIED DIRECT CURRENT EXCITATION WAHILE THE CATHODE IS ESSENTIALLY INERT WHEREUPON APPLICATION OF ELECTRICAL EXCITATION TO THE ELECTRODES INDUCES ELECTROLYTIC ACTION CAUSING DEPOSITION OF AN OXIDE COATING ON THE ANODE. THEREAFTER, WITH THE ELECTRICAL EXCITATION REMOVED, INFORMATION IS RECORDED ON THE OXIDE COATING BY LIGHT ENERGY INCIDENT THEREON CAUSING VAPORIZATION OF THE COATING AT LOCALIZED REGIONS IN PROPORTION TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE LIGHT INTENSITY THEREAT FOR A GIVEN EXPOSURE TIME. REAPPLYING THE ELECTRICAL EXCITATION CAUSES ERASURE OF THE RECORDED INFORMATION BY DEPOSITING ADDITIONAL OXIDE COATING MATERIAL IN THE VAPORIZED REGIONS. READOUT MAY BE PERFORMED AT ANY TIME BETWEEN RECORDING AND ERASING SIMPLY BY ILLUMINATING THE RECORDED COATING IN CONVENTIONAL MANNER WITH A READOUT OPTICAL BEAM. D R A W I N G

Inventors

• 👤 W Maloney
• 👤 J Thaxter

Bibliographic Details