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Researchers Store Optical Data In Five Dimensions

Posted by timothy on from the don't-forget-time dept.

Al writes "Researchers from Swinburne University of Technology in Victoria, Australia, have developed an optical material capable of storing information in five dimensions. Using three wavelengths and two polarizations of light, the Australian researchers were able to write six different patterns within the same area. The material is made up of layers of gold nanorods suspended in clear plastic that has been spun flat onto a glass substrate and multiple data patterns can be written and read within the same area in the material without interference. The team achieved a storage density of 1.1 terabytes per cubic centimeter by writing data to stacks of 10 nanorod layers."

2 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. Layers != Dimensions by jonharrell · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Bunch of morons adding up layers and calling them dimensions. "ooooh I have just entered the fifth dimension of my office - er - I mean the fifth floor"

  2. I use 512 dimensions!!! by woolio · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I got bad news for these people..

    Your ADSL modem transmits on 256 carriers (wavelengths), with each carrier modulating a QAM (2-dimensional) signal. In other words, the modem uses 512 dimensions [not explicitly including time].

    Storage in 5 dimensions? They've got a long way to go.