- The new optical technology could reduce file costs by 10 times or even more
- The Data Opter discs could reach 10TB for only $ 1, cheaper than the tape!
- Low power and high density storage has data centers in mind
A team led by Dr. Nicolas Riesen at the University of Southern Australia has created a new optical storage technology that could reduce file storage costs by a ten factor, compared to current optical solutions.
As reported by Blocks and filesThis method is based on manipulating fluorescence in wave bands in specific recording areas, which allows multiple bit storage that is similar to Nand Flash technology.
The process implies selectively altering the fluorescence properties of nanoparticles within the recording medium, using laser energy to create “spectral holes” where the emission is reduced. This variation in light emission encodes data at multiple levels, which potentially allows high density storage. Nanoparticles, composed of hexagonal silicon carbide (sic) with vanadium, react to laser exposure so that they affect their light emission characteristics. These alterations can be identified during the reading process, which allows recovering data.
$ 1 by Terabyte
Founded by entrepreneur Geoff Macleod-Smith, Opter Data is currently working to market technology. The startup prevents optical discs capable of high density file storage, with an off -line safety approach and long -term data preservation. Writing data would imply adjusting the lasers to establish spectral frequencies, while reading would depend on the detection of fluorescence patterns.
A technical document of Tom Coughlin, available to read on the opttera data site, projects that general storage capacity shipments will grow five times between 2024 and 2029, with much of these data that reside in secondary or file storage. Traditional hard drives, tape and other emerging optical solutions compete for this expansion market, where longevity and energy efficiency are prime factors.
Opter Data states that, once developed, its technology could reach a total cost of property as low as $ 1 per Terabyte, well below the projected costs of other storage media.
The company expects to manufacture 1 TB records in the short term, with the ambitious goal of reaching 10 TB for $ 1 at the end of the decade. This price would make it significantly cheaper than the solutions of Cerabyte’s tastes, and could even undermine magnetic tape storage, which is projected to fall below $ 2.50 per Terabyte by 2029.
Unlike hard drives, which require continuous power and magnetic tape, which depends on specialized library systems, the Data opting approach could be integrated with existing optical disc formats. This compatibility could help with the adoption of technology in data centers, where to reduce energy consumption and storage costs is a great approach to hyperscalers at this time.
Of course, the viability of technology will depend on its ability to meet the storage density requirements and compete with evolutionary alternatives, such as synthetic DNA storage, which offers long -term stability, but is still out of the way ready to be ready for stellar schedule.
