Whatever happened to ultraviolet lasers?

[radagast]

Back, several years ago, when I first heard of research into producing inexpensive blue lasers which I then read would be used for HD replacements for DVD, I also read that some progress had been made in regards to ultra-violet lasers, which have even a smaller beam width then blue. Of course that would have meant even more data on a disc than a blue laser system. What happened to it?

I also remember a company coming out with a particle beam system that had a 50nm width beam which would have allowed 200gb on a DVD size disc. Apparently that project was abandoned as well.

[jermwhl]

With multiple layers, BD can store 200GB.

[WickyWoo]

Blu-Ray is a blu-violet laser

[nhaase]

Without knowing anything about this specifically, there are radiation concerns with ultraviolet lasers. With the lasers in use now in CE products blindness is of concern, of course, since you can point a laser at someone and blind them. However, with ultraviolet lasers you bring the possibility of cancer, as UV light has a short enough wavelength to damage DNA.

As I said, this is without knowing specifics of this type of implementation, but that's a basic concern of it. I have heard stories from other researchers who have worked with UV lasers for a day and actually get "sunburned" wherever skin was exposed.

[nhaase]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

Blu-Ray is a blu-violet laser

ROYGBIV, Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet. That's light from longest to shortest wavelength, and shorter than Violet is Ultraviolet, we're getting close at 405nm, but not quite there.

[matthewrounds]

Lets not forget about using x-rays for storage. Now your player will come with a cancer warning!

[Deciazulado]

Tests are underway for the Gamma-ray disc. Prototypes are still too big for the time being, of course.

[radagast]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

Blu-Ray is a blu-violet laser

Yes, but I'm talking about ultr-violet. Not the same thing.

[radagast]

Originally Posted by jermwhl

With multiple layers, BD can store 200GB.

The particle beam system could do 200gb on a single layer. They were planning on multi-layer systems that could have done a terrabyte on a single disc.

I also found this link about Pioneer and ultra-violet lasers:

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=19531

That was in 2004. Apparently Pioneer decided they didn't have enough time to fix the technical issues, before hd-dud would come out, so they threw in with the BDA.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

Tests are underway for the Gamma-ray disc. Prototypes are still too big for the time being, of course.

[ReduxInflux]

for a second there i thought you were referring to the terrible movie by the same name.