China hits record-breaking 1.85 terabytes of data storage in diamonds

Think of a future where our distant descendants, perhaps even a new species evolved from humanity, could access and experience the history of our civilization in a way we can barely comprehend today.

This mindblowing idea may turn into a reality soon. A new study suggests that diamond-based storage technology could preserve vast amounts of information for millions of years. 

Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China have set a new record for diamond storage density, achieving 1.85 terabytes per cubic centimeter.

But the real magic lies in its durability. The team believes their diamond system can lock away precious data for millions of years.

They have developed a technique to encode information within the diamond’s atomic structure.

“Here we present a diamond storage medium that exploits fluorescent vacancy centres as robust storage units and provides a high storage density of 14.8 Tbit cm−3, a short write time of 200 fs and an estimated ultralong maintenance-free lifespan on the scale of millions of years,” the authors wrote in the study paper. 

Storing data on diamond disc

The digital age is overwhelmed by data growth. Standard storage, such as CDs, USB drives, and Blu-ray discs, is drowning in a sea of data.

As per New Scientists, a diamond optical disc can store data at a density 2,000 times greater than that of a standard Blu-ray disc.

However, the method looks a bit complicated. To create their novel data storage device, researchers used tiny diamond slivers. 

They fired ultrafast laser pulses at these diamonds, displacing some carbon atoms and creating tiny vacancies within the diamond’s crystal lattice. 

These vacancies, or “empty spaces,” serve as the building blocks of information storage.

The density of these vacancies in a specific area determined its brightness, which represents different data values.

By carefully controlling the pattern of these vacancies, the researchers could encode data within the diamond.

Shows promise in testing

To demonstrate the capabilities of their diamond storage system, the researchers encoded a famous sequence of photographs by Eadweard Muybridge. 

“The team then stored images by mapping the brightness of each pixel to the brightness levels of specific sites inside the diamond,” New Scientist reported. 

Interestingly, the system achieved a remarkable level of accuracy and completeness, successfully storing and retrieving the images with 99%.

“High-speed readout through plane and volume imaging is demonstrated with a high fidelity exceeding 99 percent, showing that the approach addresses the practical demands of digital data storage and provides a promising solution for future storage requirements,” the study added. 

The diamond storage technology is currently not commercially viable due to the high cost of the equipment required. This includes lasers, high-speed fluorescence imaging cameras, and other specialized devices.

However, the researchers are optimistic that future advancements could lead to miniaturization of the technology, making it more affordable and accessible. 

The authors highlight that the diamond-based storage technology is particularly appealing to organizations that prioritize long-term data preservation. 

Government agencies, research institutes, and libraries, which often deal with valuable historical and scientific data, could be early adopters of this technology.