In yet another chapter in scientists’ constant search for increasingly better solutions for data storage, researchers in China have made an important advance in the use of diamonds. A recent publication from the University of Science and Technology (USTC) shows that they managed to record 1.85TB of data per cubic centimeter in a diamond.
The most important part of the feat is precisely this storage density. This is not the first time that scientists have turned to diamond as an alternative to record data, with researchers in New York achieving the feat in 2016. However, they were not able to achieve a satisfactory data density.
The research recently published in China is based on the same principles as the 2016 work, which is based on the use of areas in the diamond’s molecular structure where carbon is replaced by nitrogen in defects or “holes” in the mineral. These regions have fluorescent properties and can store data when hit by a laser.
What Chinese scientists did differently was to artificially remove more carbon atoms using a laser, to create more vacant areas where data can be stored. As a curiosity, the first file they recorded on a diamond was the famous timelapse “The Moving Horse”, made by Eadweard Muybridge in 1878.
Diamond’s potential lies in its durability
The density of 1.85TB per cubic centimeter is comparable to HDDs and Blu-ray discs, but that is not the main attraction of diamond as a storage solution. Scientists seek to record data on the material due to its durability.
This is an aspect that gemstones are famous for, and it seems to be an advantage for storing files as well. USTC scientists say their technology could leave data etched into diamonds for millions of years without the need for maintenance.
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This is in ideal conditions, but in adverse situations the durability is also impressive. According to the research, diamonds could also protect sensitive data at extreme temperatures of 200ºC for up to 100 years.
Fonte: TheRegister
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Source: https://www.adrenaline.com.br/hardware/cientistas-chineses-conseguem-armazenar-dados-com-alta-densidade-em-diamante/
