Scientists Use Crystals to Cram Terabytes of Data Into Millimeter-Sized Memory
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
Data storage has always depended on systems that toggle between "on" and "off" states. However, the physical size of the components storing these binary states has traditionally limited how much information can be packed into a device.
Now, researchers at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have developed a way to overcome this constraint. They've successfully demonstrated how missing atoms within a crystal structure can be used to store terabytes of data in a space no larger than a millimeter.
"We found a way to integrate solid-state physics applied to radiation dosimetry with a research group that works strongly in quantum, although our work is not exactly quantum," said first author Leonardo Franca, a postdoctoral researcher in Zhong's lab.
Their study, published in Nanophotonics, explores how atomic-scale crystal defects can function as individual memory cells, merging quantum methodologies with classical computing principles.
Led by assistant professor Tian Zhong, the research team developed this novel storage method by introducing rare-earth ions into a crystal. Specifically, they incorporated praseodymium ions into a yttrium oxide crystal, though they suggest the approach could extend to other materials due to rare-earth elements' versatile optical properties.
The memory system is activated by a simple ultraviolet laser, which energizes the rare-earth ions, causing them to release electrons. These electrons then become trapped in the crystal's natural defects. By controlling the charge state of these gaps, the researchers effectively created a binary system, where a charged defect represents a "one" and an uncharged defect represents a "zero."
[...] The researchers believe this breakthrough could redefine data storage limits, paving the way for ultra-compact, high-capacity storage solutions in classical computing.
Journal Reference: Franca, Leonardo V. S., Doshi, Shaan, Zhang, Haitao and Zhong, Tian. "All-optical control of charge-trapping defects in rare-earth doped oxides" Nanophotonics, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2024-0635
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