Reading bits on a CD‐ROM without a photodiode. Issue 5 (21st August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wishon, Michael Joseph; Locquet, Alexandre; Mourozeau, Guillaume; Choi, Daeyoung; K.R., Sreejith; Sahai, Aakash; Citrin, David
• Is Part Of: IET optoelectronics. Volume 11:Issue 5(2017)
• Page Start: 213
• Page End: 216
• Publication Date: 2017-08-21
• Subjects: CD‐ROMs -- optical beam splitters -- semiconductor lasers; reading bits -- CD‐ROM -- compact disc‐read only memory -- beam splitter -- fluctuations -- laser diode -- constant‐current injection; Optoelectronics -- Periodicals; 621.36
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-opt.2016.0118
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-8768

Abstract

Abstract : The authors demonstrate that the bits of a Compact Disc – Read Only Memory (CD‐ROM) can be read without a photodiode (PD). A commercial CD‐ROM drive was used and left unmodified except a beam splitter was removed which would route the light to a PD. This allowed for the reflected light to be incident on the laser within the laser package itself. By monitoring fluctuations in the voltage across the laser diode under constant‐current injection, it was possible to read and interpret the bits from a spinning CD‐ROM.