One bit per atom? Pff!

[andygates]

Stanford boffins have broken the one-bit-per-atom storage barrier.  They're encoding data in electron interference patterns - subatomic holograms. 

In this experiment we've stored some 35 bits per electron to encode each letter," says the prof, "and we write the letters so small that the bits that comprise them are subatomic in size. So one bit per atom is no longer the limit for information density. There's a grand new horizon below that, in the subatomic regime. Indeed, there's even more room at the bottom than we ever imagined."

(Article at the Reg, with further links to the hard science.)

Wow.  I don't think even the Singularity freaks predicted this one.  

Comments

[jarkman.livejournal.com]

Did you see anything about the lifetime of the storage ? Electron interference patterns don't sound like the kinds of thing that hang about for ages.

[thudthwacker.livejournal.com]

Well, they'll have to refresh the storage array regularly, I imagine. But, you have to do that now with a lot of memory systems.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Andy,
Could find a spot to stick this.

Real or fakr?
http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1185614/death_star_galaxy_black_hole_fires_at_neighboring_galaxy/index.html

I love the scale

Regards,
Carl

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Impressively huge. Galaxy-scale stuff makes my little meat brain hurt!