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Researchers Explore Quantum Dot Based NVRAM

Posted by Soulskill on from the where-is-my-quantum-dot-matrix-printer dept.

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property brings us an article describing the possibility of a new type of non-volatile storage based on quantum dot technology. So far, researchers in Germany have achieved 10ns access times and 0.7Hz refresh rates. Their calculations predict that the access time could be maintained for up to a million years. We have discussed other technologies based on quantum dots, such as solar panels and information teleportation. From the Ars Technica article: "Quantum dots can do this because there is more design freedom in setting them up. Normal flash memory relies on the huge potential barrier created by a silicon oxide layer. However, to get electrons across that barrier when writing data to a flash cell requires a lot of energy, energy that destroys the silicon oxide layer. Quantum dots, in contrast, have tunable properties, so the barrier can be kept low."

49 comments

  1. access by game+kid · · Score: 4, Funny

    So far, researchers in Germany have achieved 10ns access times and 0.7Hz refresh rates

    Who's accessing my dots??? ...are you accessing my dots?

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
    1. Re:access by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      More Dots! More Dots!

      Ok, stop Dots!

  2. leaving a bit out by tigerd · · Score: 1

    The trick in making amazing new science is to remove unneccesary stuff

    1. Re:leaving a bit out by kybred · · Score: 1

      The trick in making amazing new science is to remove unneccesary stuff

      Perfection is reached, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.
      -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

  3. In soviet russia... by madbawa · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ...all your dots are belong to us.

  4. Just What Is A .7 Hz Refresh Rate? by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 3, Informative

    Just what is a .7 refresh rate? I know what .7 is. I know what Hertz is. And I know what Refresh typically means in a memory system, but if this thing needs constant, albeit slow, refresh, it's hardly non-volatile. It's more like battery backed-up with a very low current drain. Even so, I'd prefer something that was truly stable since power sources do tend to fail at the worst possible times.

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
    1. Re:Just What Is A .7 Hz Refresh Rate? by jimdread · · Score: 5, Informative

      According to the article, the 0.7Hz refresh rate is what they need now with the experimental dots. The researchers predict that in the future they'll be able to make dots with a refresh rate of 3.17 * 10^-14 Hz, or one refresh every 1 million years.

    2. Re:Just What Is A .7 Hz Refresh Rate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      The article isn't very clear, but it appears to be saying that they have created experimental models with 0.7Hz refresh rates and 10ns access times, but they predict that quantum dots of different compositions could preserve the access time without a need for refresh (actually, for "one million years," although I think the writer was pulling that number out of his ass).

    3. Re:Just What Is A .7 Hz Refresh Rate? by rrohbeck · · Score: 1

      It *could be* nonvolatile:

      >they require a refresh rate as low as 0.7Hz. Further calculations show that more suitable combinations would result in a storage time of one million years while maintaining the same access time.

      --
      thegodmovie.com - watch it
    4. Re:Just What Is A .7 Hz Refresh Rate? by PacoTaco · · Score: 3, Funny

      Just what is a .7 refresh rate?

      Crysis on a 486.

    5. Re:Just What Is A .7 Hz Refresh Rate? by 16384 · · Score: 1

      Hey, I've once tried the Quake 3 demo on a 233Mhz AMD without 3D acceleration and got a frame every 18 or 20 s. Thats 0.05 FPS!

    6. Re:Just What Is A .7 Hz Refresh Rate? by v1 · · Score: 1

      that was my question too. They are talking about non volatile RAM, at the same time talking about a sub-one-second refresh rate, which in most memory terminology, refers to how often you have to "renew" (read, and then rewrite) the 1 or 0 in the cell to prevent it from resetting. I don't consider that to be non volatile.

      According to the article, the 0.7Hz refresh rate is what they need now with the experimental dots. The researchers predict that in the future they'll be able to make dots with a refresh rate of 3.17 * 10^-14 Hz, or one refresh every 1 million years.

      That's an amazing difference between what we have now and what we might have later. Seems a little (?) over-optimistic,

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    7. Re:Just What Is A .7 Hz Refresh Rate? by jesse285 · · Score: 1

      Well now here something that I can understand, in layman term ways, so it still a little slow for some of us, but have much will it cost and will everyone share this too.

  5. Explore? by michaelmalak · · Score: 4, Funny
    Researchers Explore Quantum Dot Based NVRAM

    You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.

    1. Re:Explore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Correction:

      You are simultaneously in and out of a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.

    2. Re:Explore? by gbobeck · · Score: 1

      Researchers Explore Quantum Dot Based NVRAM

      You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.

      I can only imagine what could happen on a bad day...

      You were eaten by a grue.
      --
      Navicula hydraulica plena anguilarum est. Omnes castelli tuus nostri sunt. Ed elli avea del cul fatto trombetta.
    3. Re:Explore? by Nullav · · Score: 1

      With or without a cat?

      --
      I just read Slashdot for the articles.
    4. Re:Explore? by heinousjay · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes.

      --
      Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
    5. Re:Explore? by Pseudonym · · Score: 1

      No fair! You changed the outcome by observing it!

      --
      sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
  6. I've said it before... by Jafafa+Hots · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...and I'll say it again. Quantum dots aren't going to be able to store information until we discover quantum dashes to go along with them.

    --
    This space available.
    1. Re:I've said it before... by felipekk · · Score: 0, Redundant

      ...

      (Only dots and it says a lot*)

      * Not enough for the Slashdot Commenting Overlord to consider it, alone, valid.

    2. Re:I've said it before... by gregski · · Score: 1

      ... carbon nanotubes?

      --
      I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
  7. Nothing new here by destor · · Score: 1, Funny

    ..possibility of a new type of non-volatile storage based on quantum dot technology. So far, researchers in Germany have achieved 10ns access times and 0.7Hz refresh rates. Their calculations predict that the access time could be maintained for up to a million years. We have discussed other technologies based on quantum dots, such as solar panels and information teleportation.

    Blizzard already introduced guild banks, which are pretty much non-volatile storages, except in case of evil guild leader. Also they were discussing about quantum DoT, but settled on SW:P since quantum stuff is not really a part of medi-evil theme. Me thinks ppl are just trying to copy everything from the WoW.

    --
    In the game of chess you must never allow your opponent to see your pieces.
  8. Strange suimmary by niceone · · Score: 3, Interesting

    10ns access times and 0.7Hz refresh rates. Their calculations predict that the access time could be maintained for up to a million years.
    What TFA says is that at the moment the memory needs refreshing at 0.7Hz, but they calculate that eventually they'll be able to make one that only needs refreshing once every million years.
    --
    ccalam - acoustic versions of new songs.
  9. First thing this brought to mind... by The+Master+Control+P · · Score: 1

    One step closer to the "standard quantum-dot storage card" mentioned in Singularity Sky.

    No, I don't know why I find that one line so memorable when there were dozens of awesome ones to choose from.

    1. Re:First thing this brought to mind... by Kawahee · · Score: 1

      No, I don't know why I find that one line so memorable when there were dozens of awesome ones to choose from.
      Cool story, Hansel.
      --
      I'll subscribe to Slashdot when I see a month without a dupe, a typo, or an article the "editors" didn't read.
  10. This technology would have come out sooner... by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... but it was suspended for nearly a decade after the head researcher stepped into the accelerator... and vanished.

    --

    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  11. Quantum? I know what that means... by jamesh · · Score: 1

    Everything I know about Quantum physics I learnt from Futurama... isn't there a danger that you are going to change the state of the dot by observing it?

  12. have they solved QD blinking yet? by davidknippers · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Given that quantum dot 'blinking' seems to be stochastic, I don't see how quantum dots could be utilized for reliable RAM.

    1. Re:have they solved QD blinking yet? by davidknippers · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I actually can't figure out where all the hype is coming from with quantum dots. They have interesting biomedical applications as fluorophores in cellular imaging and molecular detection. They have advantages to organic dyes traditionally used in imaging applications, as they're tunable, have highly specific emission ranges, very high quantum yields and are resistant to photobleaching. Precise measurements of changes in biomolecules can be measured with quantum dots, such as detection of fluorescence intensity changes of Förster resonance energy transfer processes. However, the use of QDs isn't revolutionary, and they're not exactly cheap to make (a quick trip to the Invitrogen website, searching for their 'QDot' line of products illustrates this). The technical difficulties that still have to be ironed out with quantum dots, such as the 'blinking' problem (likely due to some sort of twist on Auger photoionization) makes them useless in single-molecule excitation situations (which I'm sure would be necessary to control in any sort of storage environment). At this point, numerous problems stand in our way of making them the wonderful solution described in these articles. Their toxicity, steps required to ensure proper surface passivation, limited solubility in aqueous medium without extensive modification to their surface, etc...

    2. Re:have they solved QD blinking yet? by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      I actually can't figure out where all the hype is coming from with quantum dots. I don't think you'll hear that out of the researchers who are trying to get investors to fund their work...
      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    3. Re:have they solved QD blinking yet? by BeanThere · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The resarch and funding IS to figure out and then solve (if possible) the problems still associated with QDs ... duh. It's been exactly the same with every other technology (and/or other potentially interesting line of research) in the entire history of humanity, why should this be different? Do you rather expect all the problems to be solved instantly by researchers before they ever get funding? If the problems were already solved, no research would be necessary ... funding isn't a prize you get after you've solved a problem, it is a necessary requirement of setting about solving a problem.

    4. Re:have they solved QD blinking yet? by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      I'm not going to disagree with you, but I will say that many dead-ends have also been very well-funded by venture capitalists over the years. Hype alone does not necessarily mean that a technology is all that deserving.

      In other words, both the scientists and the venture capitalists can be right - but they can also be full of hot air.

      I was just answering the poster's question about where all the hype was coming from. It's simple - if I want money for research, I need to sell the sizzle.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    5. Re:have they solved QD blinking yet? by BeanThere · · Score: 1

      Yup, I of course realise there are many dead-ends and also snake oil ventures, and plenty of funding has been "wasted" on these throughout history, but that's the nature of things - it's impossible to reliably always know which avenues are worth pursuing, so that apparent "waste" is necessary in pursuit of progress - i.e. just a necessary cost of progress in the long run.

      Naturally one could then criticise QDs on the grounds that e.g. one feels that a new tech's potential is being exaggerated, but from what I can gather, that isn't the case - although high-risk this also looks like a very 'high potential reward' line of research if the problems can be ironed out. From what I can gather, we don't even really understand why the problems occur yet - in which case it is simply IMPOSSIBLE to make the claim that the hype is overblown (as the higher up posters in this thread did), because not one single human currently on earth even has enough knowledge to make that call.

    6. Re:have they solved QD blinking yet? by brokenbeaker · · Score: 1

      Quantum dots (and other quan`tum 2D and 3D structures) allow for highly tuned and tuneable electrical and (as you noted) optical properties.

      So the big deal is that they are potentially super useful in ANY field that is "electrical" or "optical", which is a lot of fields.

  13. Move along, nothing to see here. by stardude82 · · Score: 1

    IBM has been trying to do this for years, except back then they called them "atom clusters." These researchers probably only get good memory effects around liquid helium temperatures, too.

    1. Re:Move along, nothing to see here. by stardude82 · · Score: 1

      After reading the article, it sounds like a good system. Still, nothing all that new about it.

  14. Dots by Technopaladin · · Score: 1

    More DOTS more DOTS...stop DOTS

  15. A million years later, the IT monkey... by pryoplasm · · Score: 1

    ...who was cloned and genetically modified to refresh the ram after a million years or so, forgets to....then what?

    yes. they have finally made a monkey out of me...

    --
    Those who live by the sword, get shot by those who live by the gun...
  16. MS-DOS + Dots by cadeon · · Score: 2, Funny

    General failure reading dots.
    Abort, Retry, Fuse?

    1. Re:MS-DOS + Dots by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Abort, Retry, Fail should be options on a pregnancy test.

  17. Story wrong: This is volatile memory by gweihir · · Score: 2, Insightful

    As could have easily be seen by the "refresh rate". Non-volatile memory cannot have a refresh rate.

    Memory refresh means to read all cells and write them again with btheir value. This is done to neutralize signal decay. All memory that need refresh looses its stored contents over time, and hence is volatile.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:Story wrong: This is volatile memory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who said anything about refresh rates of 1 million years? The story mentions that the access times can be maintained for up to a million years unlike silicon based that apparently decreases due to wearing out of the circuits or something along those lines

      (It's 2:37am here so I cannot be bothered reading too much of the article)

    2. Re:Story wrong: This is volatile memory by datadigger · · Score: 1

      (It's 2:37am here so I cannot be bothered reading too much of the article)
      Why do you bother us then?
      --
      Aphorisms don't fix code. (Bart Smaalders)
  18. pfft... by ranjix · · Score: 1

    Their calculations predict that the access time could be maintained for up to a million years.

    Please, call me when it gets to at least 2 millions...

    --
    I had another sig before, but this one is better
  19. This is volatile memory and so is Flash by datadigger · · Score: 1

    All memory that need refresh looses its stored contents over time, and hence is volatile.
    You are right: Flash memory is volatile too. It has a refresh rate of (more than) once every 10 years.
    --
    Aphorisms don't fix code. (Bart Smaalders)