Erasable optical media

CD-R was something of a surprise invention as, in the late 1980s, most of the major manufacturers in the optical memory area were commercializing the non-standard and relatively expensive WORM media, while focusing their research and development efforts on erasable optical storage. It was also believed that a writeable CD-Audio/CD-ROM-compatible medium was not feasible, due to the high reflectivity needed to meet the CD standard as defined by the Red and Orange Books.196... 

Fukaminato, T., Kobatake, S., Kawai, T, and Irie, M. Three-dimensional erasable optical memory using a photochromic diarylethene single cry stal as the recording medium. Proc. Jpn. Acad. 77, B, 30, 2001. 

The mechanism of WORM recording and indeed of all currently available optical disc media, whether erasible or write-once, depends upon the heat generated by a focused laser beam impinging on an absorbing medium. The energy, normally near-IR radiation, is transmitted to the absorbing material in a time much shorter than the time it takes for the heat generated to dissipate by thermal conduction. 

Takenaga, M. et al. 1983. New optical erasable medium using tellerium suboxide thin film. SPIE Proc. 420 173. 

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