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Abstract

An optical read/write information storage system (2), includes a liquid crystal information storage medium (1) for storing information written thereto and being capable of being read, including plural volumes (21) of liquid crystal material (23) in a containment medium (24), the volumes of liquid crystal material being operative to modulate or not to modulate light, e.g. by transmitting or scattering light as a representation of logic 1 and logic 0 information, the storage medium being responsive to a first energy input to assume and to store one detectable output condition and to a second energy input to assume and to store a second detectable output condition, input energy systems for writing and erasing information, and an optical reading device for detecting such output conditions of the storage means as a representation of information stored therein. Pleochroic dye (250) may be used to enhance thermal effects. Pointed electrode (101), controlled wire electrode (141) and electron 'spraying' techniques apply charge to affect optical characteristics, e.g., writing and/or erasing, of the storage medium, and an optical writing technique (200) uses a large aperture number lens to focus thermal energy in a liquid crystal volume while minimizing affect on other volumes.

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First Claim