Laser diode requirements for magneto-optical storage devices

There are several characteristics of laser diodes that influence the performance of a magneto-optical (MO) storage device. A few of the important optical characteristics include divergence angles, wavelength, astigmatism, polarization, and power output. Due to the large variation in these characteristics from commercial devices, compromises must be made in order to design an optical system that is manufacturable. In this paper we discuss how variations in the laser optical characteristics affect spot quality on the recording medium. Optical characteristics of a sample population of laser diodes are measured, and a hypothetical optical system is evaluated.