The amount of data that we generate through our work on computers, smartphones or whatever is growing exponentially, along with the digitization of paper documents, it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage it in few units of memory. Fortunately, soon Engines may reach 700TB.

A team of researchers from Shanghai University of Science and Technology (USST), RMIT University and the National University of Singapore (NUS) has actually started a collaboration to try to produce a new mechanism that improves Optical drive data density. The breakthrough so far, also reported in Science Advances, has allowed for the filling of an equivalent amount of data 28,000 Blu-ray and 25GB All inside a “theoretical” disk 12 cm in diameter, with a capacity of about 700 terabytes.

This support is called “theoretical” because at the moment they only worked on the technology needed to make it a reality. How it works? Thanks to a new nanocomposite material, which Combines graphene oxide chips and nanoparticles, It is possible to obtain unprecedented data density using inexpensive continuous wave lasers, thus reducing operating costs compared to conventional optical writing techniques, not to mention the fact that it will be. Tablets that last longer Compared to current magnetic-based hard drives, which have a lifespan of up to 3-5 years.

According to the experts who worked on the project, “While progress is needed to improve technology, the results open new avenues to meet the global challenge of data storage. The technology is suitable for mass production of optical discs, so the potential is enormous.”. We just have to wait for further news in this regard, since with optical disks of this type it will also be possible to findAn additional alternative to the cloud Or even download tons of multimedia content in high definition to keep for a long time. It might also be possible to use it to keep all Netflix!

We saw a similar function (more or less) at the end of December, when a user stored entire movies on a floppy disk.