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"Magnetic Tornadoes" Could Offer New Data Storage Tech
coondoggie writes to tell us about the latest technique researchers are investigating as a possible means to store data, magnetic tornadoes. "Conventional computer memories store data in "bits" that consist of two magnetic elements that record data in binary form. When these elements are magnetized in the same direction, the computer reads the bit as a '0'; when magnetized in opposite directions, the bit represents a '1,' researchers stated. According to scientists, a vortex forms spontaneously — one vortex per disk — in a small magnetic disk when the disk's diameter falls below a certain limit. Although the vortex does not whirl about like a meteorological tornado, the atoms in the material do orient themselves so that their magnetic states, or 'moments,' point either clockwise or counterclockwise around the disk's surface. At the center of the disk, the density of this rotation causes the polarity of the vortex core to point either up out of the disk or down like a tornado's funnel, researchers stated. Because the vortices that form on the disks contain two independently controllable and accessible magnetic parameters, they could form the basis for quaternary bits that would contain data written as a 0, 1, 2, or 3."
Is a "quaternary bit" a "quaternary binary digit"? Doesn't make sense. I think you're after a "quaternary digit", or "quit".
I like the sound of 'quigit'.
This guy's the limit!
but wont read/write times be longer because you'll need to deal with translations between quaternary and binary?
No, in fact an advancement such as this would halve the read/write times since twice as much information is read/write in each operation.
Prediction: The real iPhone killer is going to be sex robots from Japan. Think about it.
Oh. My. God. This got an insightful modification? What has happened to Slashdot? Are we now people so un-nerd-like that we don't even realize a quarternary digit is 2 binary digits?