Disk and flash are the dominant storage solutions today, but in terms of absolute lifetime, they are far inferior to optical disk.
Some researchers believe that because of the reliability issues of disks, it does not reduce the carbon footprint of the data center sector.
A joint team from Shanghai Institute of Technology, Melbourne Institute of Technology, and National University of Singapore reportedly demonstrated a new mechanism to effectively increase the density of optical storage.
The researchers concluded that while laser-backed optical data storage is the best option to meet the growing demand for data, the different nature of light limits the size of the bits of information that can be recorded, which in turn limits the storage capacity of optical disks.
Instead, they used a new nanocomposite material that combines graphene oxide sheets and upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to achieve unprecedented data densities.
The researchers also note that the technique uses an inexpensive continuous-wave laser, which will further help reduce operating costs, whereas traditional optical writing techniques rely on expensive and bulky pulsed lasers.
While progress is needed to optimize the technology, the findings open up new avenues for addressing global data storage challenges,” the researchers said. This technology is suitable for mass production of optical discs and therefore has great potential. “
The laboratory phase has already stored 700 terabytes of data in 12-cm discs, equivalent to 28,000 25-gigabyte blue discs.
Recent Comments