The present invention provides an optical disk with pits and/or bumps which
each contain a plurality of facets. Each facet of each pit and/or bump is
intended for separate read back as an individual `side` of the optical
disk (much as vinyl records had two `sides` for separate playback). The
separate `sides` of the optical disk formed by separate facets of each pit
and/or bump can be read back either simultaneously or serially, either by
a corresponding plurality of laser beams, or by a common laser beam which
is positioned to a first orientation with respect to a rotating track to
focus on a first set of facets of each pit and/or bump, and then
repositioned to focus on a second set of facets of the same set of pits
and/or bumps and thus to read a second `side` of the optical disk. The
technique may be extended to provide a single optical disk and even a
single track of the optical disk with even more than two `sides` by using
three-, four- or five-sided pyramidal-shaped pits and/or bumps.
