Scientists stored data in rare-earth crystal which could one day delivery terabyte-class storage the size of a small grain of rice

A crystal used in the study charges under UV light. The process created by Zhong Lab could be used with a variety of materials, taking advantage of rare earths’ powerful, flexible optical properties.

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• Scientists at UChicago PME develop a new atomic-scale data storage method
• Their approach uses crystal defects to store data as ones and zeroes
• Research combines quantum science, optical storage, and radiation dosimetry