A terabyte on a DVD?

Working at the University of Central Florida, members of the Belfield Research Group have developed a storage system which can hold up to 1TB of information. Dubbed Two-Photon 3D Optical Data Storage, the system uses two different wavelengths of light to write smaller, "sharper" bits to a photochromic surface. While this concept isn't new, the Belfield discovery was how to then read the data without overwriting -- a solution that involves using a different set of wavelengths that won't trigger a reaction. By layering several photochromic surfaces together, it's now possible to store as much as 1TB in a disc only slightly thicker than a standard DVD. Commercial application of the technology is a few years away, however, since Belfield is working on reducing the required laser power.

By Electronista Staff