NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF SCATTERING IN A 2-PHOTON OPTICAL-DATA STORAGE-SYSTEM

Scattering effects in a two-photon optical data storage system are num erically studied. Surface scattering analysis with a scalar, beam prop agation model is performed. We analyze the problem by modeling scatter ing from randomly varying surfaces and also by Fourier surface decompo sition. Scattering induced by propagation through multiple pages of ra ndomly recorded data marks is also studied with a hybrid finite-differ ence-time-domain/angular-spectrum model. Both surface and bulk scatter ing are shown to influence the spatial properties of the optical beam. Results and some possible implications are presented. (C) 1998 Optica l Society of America.