Optical storage: a growing mass market for lasers

Optical storage is now a preferred solution for a diverse plan of applications from low-cost information distribution to mass storage system. Whether multimedia CD-ROMs, 3.5- and 5.25- in magnetooptic optic drives for storage-intensive applications, or terabyte optical libraries, optical storage technology is playing an increasing role in business applications and the home entertainment market. Optical storage represents the dominant volume segment of the laser market, and it is projected to continue to stimulate the development of improved lasers.