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NTT Develops Stamp-Size 1GB Hologram Memory
sandalwood writes "NTT has developed a new high-capacity memory storage device based on thin-film holography called Info-MICA. The official site is here but it's only in Japanese for now. According to the article, 'NTT is planning to bring the first commercial Info-MICA products to market in 2005 with a postage stamp-size ROM and a memory capacity of 1GB.' My first thought was that it would be perfect for a future handheld game device!"
Is it more reliable than flash memory? I've heard there's a couple rovers that could probably use an upgrade ;)
...they mean never.
Great news for those of us wishing to have enough physical space to install UT2005.
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Hopefully they'll develop one that can go on my arm right next to the nicotine patch, for when I'm on vacation and away from my computers.
See, my first thought is that it'd be perfect for portable music devices, as opposed to gaming. This would better enable innocuous music devices (i.e. that which could be hidden in the lining of a jacket/glove/etc.) whereas gaming devices are going to be held in your hands no matter what (until we shift to full-on wearable computers, i.e. xybernaut).
"Stumble before you crawl"
And my forst thought was "postage stamp"?! WTF is a postage stamp!?!?.. Haven't they heard of email??..
Their proposed uses are all very well, but I think this could be even more significant for video. Even with their current versions you'd need 8 chips to hold the same amount as a DVD: it's likely that the capacity will increase pretty quickly once the technology settles down so there's no reason they shouldn't replace HD-DVDs even before the format gets established. The big advantage is that a video based around these could be built into a cartridge a bit like the old games console cartridges. With no exposed optical surface to get scratched, durability could be a lot better than optical discs. Also the readers would be far simpler electromechanically, leading to cheaper, more durable players.
Of course, whether the content-provision industries consider cheap, durable media and players a good thing is open to question...
"'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.'"
- JRR Tolkien.
Stories like this make me wonder, how much longer until it becomes common to buy PCs that come with a large bank of non-volatile memory instead of hard drives? The faster access time would be nice, but what I'd really be excited about is the dramatically reduced failure rate.
I recently had to send in my laptop to get the IBM 2.5" HD replaced (it was grinding slowly in oblivion), and luckily I was able to convince it keep running (a few "gentle" thumps on the table) long enough to burn some backup CDs.
I would love to have 30 GBs of flash memory to use instead of a comparatively huge unwieldly hard drive full of delicate moving parts. This would be great for laptops considering there'd be less heat produced, less energy consumed, less spaced used, and improved durability.
Maybe 5 years down the road we'll all have 1" thin laptops with low power comsumption that are both durable and powerful?
ce n'est pas un Sig.
The site itself is too FLASH-y to translate entirely, but here's the FAQ from the site, roughly translated by the fish. Very interesting.
//www.phlab.ecl.ntt.co.jp/theme/2003/2003_12_01.pd f
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The information mica (Info-MICA) with it is some abbreviation?
The abbreviation of Information Multi-layered Imprinted CArd. The mica of the ore (mica) it is designation from the meaning, memory medium which had the stratified structure the way.
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It is operational principle of the information mica, general "cubic measure hologram" being how to be different, it does "thin film hologram"?
As for thin film hologram, thickness of hologram wave length of light, is hologram when it is thinner than that. Vis-a-vis the reference beam which has wave length and the incident direction where the condition for causing diffraction is loose, differs, you can obtain diffracted light. It is hologram when on the one hand, as for cubic measure hologram, thickness of hologram is sufficiently thicker than wave length of light. Diffraction condition is harsh, generates diffracted light only vis-a-vis the wave length of specification and the reference beam which has incident direction. Until recently, if you mention hologram memory of bulk, those which are based on this cubic measure hologram principle were main current.
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Information mica medium has, is "laminating guided wave road structure" some kind of ones?
The layer whose refractive index is high (core layer) with low layer (the clad layer), it means the thing of the structure which is laminated alternately. When laser light incidence is done in this, light being shut in the same way as the optical fiber near core layer, it keeps being spread. With the information mica, unevenness pattern is provided in each core layer, light disperses with this. As for this unevenness pattern, with the thin film hologram which beforehand can soak information, scattered light forms the picture, in order for it to be possible to recover information from this picture, is designed. In addition, by the fact that the layer which incidence it can point laser light is selected, the information which is remembered in each stratum can be recovered individually.
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The computer hologram which is used in the optical design of the information mica (CGH: Computer-Generated Hologram) With it is what?
In order for the playback image of desire to be formed, it is the hologram which is synthesized in the calculation of the computer.
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You have adopted with the information mica, is "opening multiple" some kind of data multiplex access method?
Multiple doing the information every of opening in 1 inside layer of medium, it means the thing of the system which you remember. With thin film hologram, incidence it just can point to laser light to 1 layer of specification, it is possible to play back the picture which instantly has mass information. But, the fine picture which was played back from hologram medium and the pixel pitch where the cheap general-purpose image pickup element of CCD and the like is rough there was density difference of 2 columns between, it was difficult to take in image at one time with the general-purpose image pickup element. With the information mica, because high density memory is actualized making use of the cheap image pickup element of marketing, the filter which possesses plural opening between medium and the image pickup element is provided, from midst of plural opening one of desire is consecutively selected and the method of keeping recovering the information of 1 inside layer in the time series by it keeps opening, is adopted. (Reference link) Http:
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Is mass production commercial business conversion of the information mica when around?
You have aimed towar
everything in moderation
Next year, a 2GB chip line is started with the brand name "Isolinear"