AfterDawn: News

Researchers create optical media with 1.6 terabyte capacity

A team of researchers from the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia have announced today they have created a "five-dimensional" optical media that can hold up to 1.6 terabytes of data, and that could easily be on the market within 10 years.

The researchers used 'nanoparticles and a "polarization" dimension' to create the massive storage capacity. The team has already signed a deal with Samsung, who says the disc could potentially hold up to 10 terabytes.

"We were able to show how nanostructured material can be incorporated onto a disc in order to increase data capacity, without increasing the physical size of the disc," adds Min Gu, part of the team.



"These extra dimensions are the key to creating ultra-high capacity discs."

The Reuters report explains that "DVDs currently have three spatial dimensions but using nanoparticles the researchers said they were able to introduce a spectral -- or color -- dimension as well as a polarization dimension."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 20 May 2009 23:35

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• 17 comments

• Blackjax

  I bet its less than 10 years before it hits stores. I just hate to think what it will cost for something like this when its first out. Star tek here we come!

  21.5.2009 00:11 #1

• magnets

  it's a big gamble for Samsung, that tech would not have come cheap.
  How many of us use DVD's for anything other than off-line backup?
  
  as networks get faster and bandwidth gets cheaper will we need off-line media in 10 years?
  
  good for backups though...

  21.5.2009 00:33 #2

• MXGzX

  Swineburne eh? I bet they're celebrating on uni night at The Hawthorne. ;)

  21.5.2009 00:34 #3

• 5fdpfan

  1.6 terabytes is fantastic but unless those discs are more scratch and smudge resistant than current discs, it'd be hesitant to risk losing that much data. Thanks, but once I reach that capacity level, I'll stick with hard drives instead.

  21.5.2009 00:47 #4

• KillerBug

  10 Years? Why even bother? There are about a dozen flash-like technologies in the pipeline for the next 6 years that will make this worthless.

  21.5.2009 01:03 #5

• windsong

  This story is CRAP. Every few years some company comes out and brags how they can store this much on a disc...but they will never be able to manufacture it for the masses. The cost would be out of this world. Look how much a 50gig blu-ray costs. Even at Newegg they are 20 bucks each!
  
  LAME.

  21.5.2009 02:40 #6

• Mez

  windsong, that is what I thought when I read about hard disks breaking the 1 gig limit. The article claimed they would be out by the end of the year and it was already spring. I couldn't help laughing. I saw a 1.2 g on sale in Nov. What a shock! By Jan they were selling 2 g drives.
  
  Yes it would depend on how cheaply they can be made.
  
  5fdpfan, maybe these do not come on a spindle. Maybe they will be housed in a case like 3.5 floppies.

  21.5.2009 12:50 #7

• djkrishna

  Developing and implementing the 1.6tb disc is easy project
  Now the hard part is players that are able to read those
  for bd-r backups in the begining what brand and which players supports.I think we have long way to go

  21.5.2009 14:01 #8

• XSilvenX

  Sounds interesting but it's only impressive now. Technology improves at such a fast rate that Terabytes might become the new Gigabyte if you get my drift...I mean a few years ago I used to think a gig was a lot of space but now ...a gig for me is nothing.

  21.5.2009 15:19 #9

• voyager

  "Another optical media base on cds"! what happened with the holographic card?

  21.5.2009 18:11 #10

• Tsusai

  Come on...where are those 3D storage cube prisms from Star Trek at?

  21.5.2009 22:27 #11

• ZippyDSM

  That's a good size but in 10 years 1TB of flash storage should be around 150$, I think the 1.6TB SDD drive is about what 2 or 5(or 20 lulz) grand?
  
  SDD will replace current HDD tech and if it can get 100GB at 10-30$(consumer price FYI) it can easily replace discs.
  
  Witht hat said why can we have cart protection for discs like this?

  22.5.2009 00:49 #12

• hermes_vb

  I won't be happy until I get crystal rod storage. LOL.

  22.5.2009 01:38 #13

• SProdigy

  I'd rather have floppys. Where are the 1 TB FLOPPYS at??? LOL.

  22.5.2009 09:58 #14

• DXR88

  Originally posted by SProdigy: I'd rather have floppys. Where are the 1 TB FLOPPYS at??? LOL.they flopped out at the last convention.

  22.5.2009 13:29 #15

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Originally posted by SProdigy: I'd rather have floppys. Where are the 1 TB FLOPPYS at??? LOL.they flopped out at the last convention.
  Besides the more damageable the disc the more money they can get in the long run....

  22.5.2009 13:51 #16

• SamNz

  Originally posted by voyager: "Another optical media base on cds"! what happened with the holographic card?mostly likey for bwc, i dont see any other reason to contuine using them

  1.6.2009 03:45 #17