Did You Know That Diamonds Could Store Data?

Diamond is popularly known as a fashionable decorative piece. But did you know that diamond can be used to store huge data? Yes, you heard me right! Researchers have recently declared that diamonds can be used to store huge data for a long term.

How is it possible?

It is the defect in the diamond that makes it possible to store data in it. Scientists search for the defects in diamonds and use these defects in quantum computers. Just like using microscopic pits in CD’s and DVD’s aids in encoding bits of data.

These defects and imperfections are called as Nitrogen vacancy centres. We all are well aware that diamond is made up of Carbon atoms. But in defective conditions, a negative charge is featured instead of carbon atom. Researchers then used lasers to neutralise this negative charge. After neutralisation the behaviour of defect is altered.

Researchers noted that this change was reversible and long lasting. This brought in the idea that diamonds can be used to store data and the stored data could be encoded in the form of negatively and neutrally charged defects by using lasers. And diamond has a unique three dimensional read/write memory.

Credits: Meriles Group, City College of the City University of New York

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