Chinese researchers reveal self-encrypting molecular HDD technology supporting 100TB+ capacities

(Image credit: Seagate)

Chinese researchers have developed a high-density molecular storage system that uses organic molecules to store and encrypt data, reports Blocks & Files. Information is recorded and retrieved using a specialized atomic force microscope, which manipulates molecular states to store data, according to the description at Nature. While the technology can potentially enable ultra-high-density storage devices that reduce storage space requirements and power consumption (e.g., HDDs with capacities of 100TB and higher), short lifespan of atomic microscope tips remains a major obstacle.

Traditional HDDs store data on magnetic materials that change their properties using magnetic write heads. The molecular HDD technology works by storing and processing data using tiny molecules that change their electrical properties when exposed to voltage. The researchers used 200 self-assembled Ru LPH molecules arranged in a thin monolayer (SAM), where ruthenium ions switch between oxidation state and ion accumulation state, altering the material's conductance using a conductive atomic force microscope (C-AFM) tip. A (C-AFM) tip with a radius of 25nm writes and reads data by applying a small voltage to control these molecular changes, allowing for 96 different conductance states per unit (6-bit storage), which somewhat resembles multi-level cell NAND.

Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

  • mike.stavola
    I see all these amazing breakthroughs and revolutions coming out of china, from new battery tech that'll completely upset the auto industry, to power generation revolutions that'll put existing stations out of business, new solar tech that'll make everyone power independent, new storage breakthroughs with subatomic particles and special lasers and crystals, to food that never spoils and anti-aging medicine- but I've never seen a single one marketed. Ever.
    Reply
  • nrdwka
    mike.stavola said:
    I see all these amazing breakthroughs and revolutions coming out of china, from new battery tech that'll completely upset the auto industry, to power generation revolutions that'll put existing stations out of business, new solar tech that'll make everyone power independent, new storage breakthroughs with subatomic particles and special lasers and crystals, to food that never spoils and anti-aging medicine- but I've never seen a single one marketed. Ever.
    in research papers where is notes about obstacles remaining to solve.

    Like for that HDD tech - short lifespan of heads.

    So until obstacles can be resolved you won't see them
    Reply
  • husker
    There are lots of overly complicated ways to store data, for instance have a computer write things down on paper with a pencil using a plotter and then reading the data back with an optical scanner when needed. The real question is how this improves on what is currently known to work best. Having one or 2 advantages isn't enough.
    Headline: "Husker develops way for computer systems to store data which can be read without computers or electricity"
    Reply
  • Blastomonas
    Agreed. Will file this research in the same place as the immortality chamber and personal teleporter.
    Reply
  • Mr Majestyk
    So many things we now take for granted now were the results of 30-40 years of research eg OLEDS were invented in the late 1980s and took another 20+ years to eventuate in panels using the tech. Almost nothing is an overnight miracle. This technology sounds amazing, even if it won't be ready for a long time. I wonder how it compares to using DNA for data storage.
    Reply
  • LouisPW
    mike.stavola said:
    I see all these amazing breakthroughs and revolutions coming out of china, from new battery tech that'll completely upset the auto industry, to power generation revolutions that'll put existing stations out of business, new solar tech that'll make everyone power independent, new storage breakthroughs with subatomic particles and special lasers and crystals, to food that never spoils and anti-aging medicine- but I've never seen a single one marketed. Ever.
    But China is already disrupting the auto industry mostly because of their pioneering battery tech, lead solar development (even if it's not that dramatic of a lead) and all the rest is more proof of concept rather than market-ready technology.
    Reply
  • drajitsh
    Mr Majestyk said:
    So many things we now take for granted now were the results of 30-40 years of research eg OLEDS were invented in the late 1980s and took another 20+ years to eventuate in panels using the tech. Almost nothing is an overnight miracle. This technology sounds amazing, even if it won't be ready for a long time. I wonder how it compares to using DNA for data storage.
    this is still at a concept stage -- I note that they did not say that they have a working prototype device even one with a lifetime of 1 hour
    Reply