Replacement and alignment of laser

Abstract

The present invention relates to embodiments of: (1) a unitary holographic drive head assembly mounting structure; (2) an assembly comprising a unitary holographic drive head assembly mounting structure and a plurality of holographic drive head components and/or subassemblies; (3) a subassembly comprising a spatial light modulator, detector array, and a beam splitter; (4) a device comprising a spatial light modulator and a physical aperture positioned over or an imaged aperture projected onto the photoactive area of the spatial light modulator; (5) a system for optically aligning or pointing a laser in a holographic drive head assembly; (6) a light source subassembly comprising a laser, a fiber coupling lens; and an optical fiber having a fiber connector ready output end; and (7) a light source subsystem comprising a laser source, beam conditioning optics, fiber coupling optics for receiving the conditioned light beam, and a fiber optic connector for receiving the conditioned light beam from the fiber coupling optics.

1 .- 25 . (canceled) 
   
   
       26 . A laser light source subassembly comprising:
 a laser;   a fiber coupling lens connected to the laser; and   a optical fiber having an input end connected to the fiber coupling lens and a fiber connector ready output end.   
   
   
       27 . The subassembly of  claim 26 , wherein the laser is a laser diode. 
   
   
       28 . The subassembly of  claim 26 , wherein the laser is a conventional laser. 
   
   
       29 . The subassembly of  claim 26 , wherein the optical fiber comprises a single-mode optical fiber. 
   
   
       30 . The subassembly of  claim 26 , wherein the optical fiber comprises a polarization-maintaining optical fiber. 
   
   
       31 . The subassembly of  claim 26 , wherein the fiber connector ready output end comprises a FC-PC, a FC-APC, a FC-ST, or a F-SMA fiber optic connector. 
   
   
       32 . A light source subsystem comprising:
 a laser source providing a light beam;   beam conditioning optics for conditioning the light beam to provide a conditioned light beam;   fiber coupling optics for receiving the conditioned light beam; and   a fiber optic connector having an input end and an output end, wherein the input end receives the conditioned light beam from the fiber coupling optics.   
   
   
       33 . The subsystem of  claim 32 , which further comprises a fiber optic cable having one end connected to the output end of the fiber optic connector. 
   
   
       34 . The subsystem of  claim 33 , which further comprises an optical divider positioned between the beam condition optics and the fiber coupling optics which divides the conditioned light beam into a data beam and a reference beam, wherein the fiber coupling optics comprises a separate first and second fiber coupling optics, wherein the first fiber coupling optics receives the data beam, wherein the second fiber coupling optics receives the reference beam, wherein the fiber optic connector comprises separate first and second fiber optic connectors, wherein the input end of the first fiber optic connector receives the data beam from the first fiber coupling optics, and wherein the input end of the second fiber optic connector receives the reference beam from the second fiber coupling optics. 
   
   
       35 . The subsystem of  claim 34 , which further comprises a shutter positioned between the first fiber coupling optics and the first fiber optic connector and wherein the data beam is focused from first fiber coupling optics through the shutter onto the input end of the first fiber optic connector. 
   
   
       36 . The subsystem of  claim 35 , which further comprises a second shutter positioned between the second fiber coupling optics and the second fiber optic connector and wherein the reference beam is focused from second fiber coupling optics through the second shutter onto the input end of the second fiber optic connector. 
   
   
       37 . The subsystem of  claim 35 , which further comprises first and second collimation optics, a third and fourth fiber optic connector, and wherein the fiber optic cable comprises a first fiber optic cable and a second fiber optical cable, wherein the first fiber optic cable is connected at one end to the third fiber optic connector, wherein the second fiber optic cable is connected at one end to the fourth fiber optic connector, wherein the data beam from the first fiber optic cable is transmitted to the first collimation optics via the third fiber optic connector, and wherein the reference beam from the second fiber optic cable is transmitted to the second collimation optics via the fourth fiber optic connector. 
   
   
       38 . The subsystem of  claim 32  wherein the laser source is a laser diode. 
   
   
       39 . The subsystem of  claim 32  wherein the laser source is a conventional laser.