Researchers have used single-atom defects in a crystal structure to store terabytes of data within a cube just a millimetre across.
This could redefine the physical limits of data storage, paving the way for huge capacities to be stored in tiny devices.
In classical digital storage, data is stored via systems that have an ‘on’ or ‘off’ state, equating to ones and zeros.
Punched cards were commonly used in the 20th century, while modern computers use tiny transistors that run at either low or high voltage.
There has historically been a limit on the data that can be stored based on the physical size of the devices and components storing these binary states.
The new technique, developed by researchers at the University of Chicago and described in the journal Nanophotonics, uses defects in crystals the size of an individual atom.
Crystal defects have been used in quantum storage to create ‘qubits’, a two-state system that is the quantum version of a classical bit.
The researchers built on both quantum and optical data techniques to create a ‘quantum-inspired’ solution that provides unparallelled classical data storage in a physical device.
Data can be read from defects consisting of a single missing atom
The novel storage method involves the introduction of rare-earth ions into an existing crystal.
Specifically, the researchers incorporated praseodymium ions into a yttrium oxide crystal to create their storage device, though they believe that other substances could also effectively be used.
The crystal defects consist of a single missing atom, such as a space where an oxygen atom would usually be. Researchers said that all crystals have such defects, whether occurring naturally or artificially made, and the properties of the rare-earth materials are also required to store and read data.
To activate the memory system, a simple ultraviolet laser is used, which causes the rare-earth ions to release electrons. By controlling the charge state, the researchers were able to cause the electrons to become trapped in the crystal defects, forming a binary system, with a charged defect representing a one and an uncharged defect representing a zero.
Lead author Tian Zhong said that within the millimetre cube of their device, they were able to demonstrate that there were “at least a billion of these memories – classical memories, traditional memories – based on atoms”.
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