Thermal cross-track cross talk in phase-change optical disk data storage

We have investigated the temperature distribution in land/groove phase-chan ge optical disks. The incident beam is linearly polarized either parallel t o track (E-parallel to polarization) or tangential to track (E-perpendicula r to polarization). Calculations have shown that temperature profiles in th e medium are dependent on the wavelength of light, the state of polarizatio n, the geometry of the grooved structure, and the multilayer stack. The tem perature profiles are quite different between the land track and the groove track. Thermal cross-track cross talk from a land track to its neighboring groove tracks is higher than that from a groove track to its neighboring l and tracks. The interaction between the E-perpendicular to electric field a nd the grooved structure is mainly responsible for thermal cross-track cros s talk. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)08215-3].