Optical storage of digital information has reached the consumer market in the form of the compact audio disk. In this technology, information is stored in the form of shallow pits embossed in a polymer surface. The surface is coated with a reflective thin metallic film, and the digital information, represented by the position and length of the pits, is read out optically with a focused, low-power (5 mW) laser beam. When used for information storage for a computer this device is called a CD-ROM, a Compact Digital-Read Only Memory. The user can only extract information (digital data) from the disk without changing or adding any data. That is, it is possible to “read” but not to “write” or “erase” information.

While it is an advantage to have permanently stored information in some cases — for example when listening to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony—in other situations the read-only feature is not appropriate. For most computer applications, it is essential that the user be able to store information on the disk and read it back at will. For example, in a word processing task—such as typing this article — it is often necessary to store the document on a disk. Optical data storage for this purpose is available in the form of a Write Once Read Many times (WORM) optical disk drive. The operating principle in a WORM drive is to use a focused laser beam (20 – 40 mW) to make a permanent mark on a thin film on a disk. The information is then read out as a change in the optical properties of the disk, e.g., reflectivity or absorbance. These changes can take various forms: “hole burning” is the removal of material (typically a thin film of tellurium) by evaporation, melting or spalling — sometime s referred to as laser ablation; bubble or pit formation involves deformation of the surface, usually of a polymer overcoat on a metal reflector.