Principles of Modern Physis

Vaasa University of Applied Sciences

Laboratory of Physics
=====================================================

MEMORY STORAGE DENSITY OF A COMPACT DISC

In this experiment, we find out the width of a storage track on a common CD. This, together
with measured dimensions of the track, will make it possible for us to calculate the total
length of the track. Once this length is divided by the storage capacity of the CD, we arrive at
the length of one byte, or the length of a bit, on the CD.
References: Sections 37.2, 37.3, 42.1 and 42.3 in Physics for Scientists and Engineers with
Modern Physics by R. A. Serway and J. W. Jewett

1. CD as a Grating
The storage track on the surface of a Compact Disc (CD) is made from a very narrow groove,
which contains the stored information in terms of zeros and ones. This binary information is
the basis of all digital information, and the contents can be transformed into typical data for a
computer, into music, into video, or some other form of normal information.
The stored information is read by a reading device so that the device aims a narrow beam of
coherent laser light onto the surface of the CD. Some parts of the storage track reflect the light
very well, while some other parts not so well. These parts then represent zeros and ones.
The grooves of the storage track are very narrow and the adjacent grooves are thus separated
from each other with very little space. The distance is comparable with the wavelength of the
laser light incident on the grooves. This results in the phenomenon of diffraction on the CD:
the laser light interferes constructively in certain directions, while interference is destructive
in some other directions. As a result, the reflected light appears very bright in certain
directions and there is no reflected light in the other directions at all. The convention for the
bright light reads:
> sin ? = @A

(1)

If one concentrates on the first-order principal maxima of the diffracted light, @ = 1 in Eq. (1).
Further, > is the distance between adjacent grooves on the disc, ? is the angle between the
normal to the surface of the disc and the reflected beam, and A stands for the wavelength of
light used in illuminating the surface. In the case of a laser light, A is constant, because laser
light contains only one wavelength. In our case of the He-Ne laser, A = 632.8 nm.

2. Measurements,
Measurements, Calculations and Analysis
Aim the laser light onto the give CD according to Fig. 1. Measure the distances G and H, and
arrange the system so that the brightest beam (the zeroth-order maximum) meets the wall at
right angles. Remember to be very careful with the laser light! It can cause permanent damage
to the eye, even if it hits the pupil of the eye after reflection from a smooth metallic surface.

H
G

Fig. 1

The experimental setup.

Immediately after the measurement is done, turn the laser light off.
With basic knowledge of trigonometry, you can use the measured lengths in order to calculate
the angle ?. Use this in Eq. (1) to calculate the distance between adjacent grooves on the CD, >.
Compare the obtained result with wavelength of the laser light. Are they on the same order of
length, or not?
Next, remove the CD from its support, and determine the width of the storage region on the
disc by measuring the lengths K and L (Fig. 2). Using the measured dimensions and the
magnitude of >, calculate the number of circular grooves on the disc, M.
Then, calculate the average length of a circular groove, Nave = 2OPave . With M and Nave , you can
calculate the total length of the storage track on the CD, Q. Once you divide this is by the
storing capacity of the disk, in bytes, you find the length of one byte on the disk. One byte
contains 8 bits, which makes you able to calculate the length of a bit (either 0 or 1) on the CD.
Give all the measured values, calculations and analysis in your written report. Try to calculate
absolute and relative error to the length of a bit, and give the length with its errors in the
report. Compare this length with the wavelength of the laser light used in the experiment.
2

L
K

Fig. 2

The storage region of the CD lies between the measured values of K and L.

3. Technical Information
Use the Internet and try to find out the wavelengths used in modern CD players, DVD players,
Blue Ray players and computers.