Diamonds can be used as data storage devices as well as jewels, according to new research. City College of New York researchers made this significant breakthrough by utilizing the unique properties of diamonds.
This ground-breaking approach, described in a study published in Nature Nanotechnology, is based on the use of “color centers” within diamonds, which are minute flaws where atoms are missing.
Richard G. Monge and Tom Delord led the research, which transformed these gems into powerful data storage devices.
The science behind the breakthrough in storage
The key is in these “color centers,” where tiny flaws create light-absorbing spots. According to Tom Delord, a postdoctoral research associate at CCNY, the team used this feature to store multiple images in the same location in the diamond.
This was accomplished by inserting different information into different atoms within the same microscopic spots using a laser of a slightly different color.
The difficulties that researchers encountered
The diffraction limit, a physical constraint that prevents data from being packed closely, is a common barrier in optical data storage. However, the CCNY method cleverly avoids this problem.
The researchers can target different color centers in close proximity by adjusting the color (or wavelength) of the light used, allowing them to pack more data into a confined space.
Approach that can be reused: Data can be erased and re-uploaded
Notably, the CCNY method is not a one-time solution. Data written into diamond defects can be erased and rewritten multiple times. This new technique, according to Delord, allows the team to write and read tiny bits of data at the molecular level, down to a single atom.
The achieved data density is an impressive 25GB per square inch, allowing the entire content of a Blu-Ray disc to be stored in a space smaller than a postage stamp.
Is commercial diamond storage feasible?
While the use of diamonds for data storage may initially raise cost concerns, the researchers believe that lab-grown diamonds could make this technology commercially viable.
Furthermore, this novel approach is consistent with a broader trend of investigating unconventional materials for data storage. Microsoft’s Project Silica, for example, is investigating the use of quartz glass for cloud storage solutions, leveraging the durability of glass to preserve large volumes of digital data over long periods of time.
