A smaller production process usually means progress (except in the SSD industry where it is not) and some scientists from Kiel University are now sketching on new technology that could put both conventional hard drives and SSDs to shame by employing individual molecules for data storage.
Researchers from the University of Kiel have at least shown that it is possible to store information at the molecular level. The research team has managed to pick out individual molecules, so-called spin-crossover complexes and influenced these with electrons. This apparently has the ability to turn these molecule’s magnetism on and off.
So far, the major problem has been that affecting one molecule also affects the surrounding molecules, but now the technology has far enough that it’s possible to aim at individual molecules.
– In principle, information may be stored in a single molecule. However, techniques that would make such an approach feasible are becoming available just now, says project leader Professor Richard Berndt.
The hopes are of course to be able to use molecules instead of electronic or magnetic memory. Such molecular memory would occupy several thousand times less space than current solutions. The next step for the research team is to adapt the molecules so that they can be switched at higher temperatures, and preferably using light instead of electrons.
Pictured here on the right is the infographic that explains everything. If you want to know even more, head straight to the source.
