Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Keep out of reach of children.

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


               

Please log in.
Before you can vote, you need to register. Please log in or create an account.

P+ Drive

Stores data using the power of the atom!
  (+2, -5)
(+2, -5)
  [vote for,
against]

This new storage device would be a thin layer of any solid element. There would be a magnetic 'gun' that reads the data. If you had an eight bit operating system (snigger), then your disk would be made from an element with eight protons in it. To read the dat, the gun would detect the charges. So, 0111111 would mean that there are seven positive charges, so four protons could be 11110000, 11100001, or many others that you probably are saying right now, thats where the 'pps' kicks in, the Proton Positioning System. It deduces where the protons are, thus making the appropriate binary.

As there are several million atoms on a pin head, the data storage capabilities would be enormous, although like a magnetic tape, it would only be used so many times before running out, there could be up ten million disks in a p+ disk. The disk would need o be in a robust casing, that uses some sort of idntifier in order to openit as the disk would eventually be 1 atom deep, not vary good if you touch it!

[Please comment on my ludicrous suggestion, a mix of physics, chemistry, computing and eye-strain]

[ sctld ], Oct 13 2000

Quantum Computing and non-linear Optics http://flux.aps.org...APR97/abs/S260.html
Also many hits searching with Google.com [reensure, Oct 13 2000]

[link]






       How is 00001111 distinguishable from 11110000 when the protons are bunched together in the nucleus?
centauri, Oct 13 2000
  

       11110000 and 00001111 would be detected using the sophisticated 'PPS' which A I SAID, would locate the position of each of the protons! In detail, a temporary folder would be created in ram and would be used to store the corresponding proton, although now that i think about it, a quark or gluon would need to be destroyed instead of an actual proton, good point centuri, the idea is half baked, after all.   

       [Hong Kong Suits in thirty minutes or you suit is free]
[ sctld ], Oct 13 2000
  

       There seem to be two ideas here; one is to use unspecified atomic-scale positioning and manipulation technology for data storage, and the other is to use nuclear states (the arrangement of protons and neutrons in the nucleus) for data storage.   

       The first idea isn't very interesting. We're trying to crunch as much data into as small a space as possible, and atomic-scale storage is the obvious ultimate goal. The interesting part is actually getting there, and you haven't addressed that issue at all.   

       The second idea is more novel, though I'm having trouble figuring out just what you mean. Are you proposing replacing some of the protons with neutrons, or using lighter elements for bytes with fewer bits set, or what?   

       Atomic nuclei do have distinguishable states (this is how NMR works; see also liquid quantum computing), but it's nothing like the fixed sequence of nucleons that you seem to be imagining. If we had atomic scale manipulation, we'd probably be interested in manipulating individual nuclei as well.   

       Of course, we'd be more likely to make progress by using more than a single 2-D layer of atoms.
egnor, Oct 13 2000
  

       Assuming one could calibrate the metrics of an atomic field precisely enough to parallel it by an electron flow at a radius of one select quantum state of the substrate atomic field, it may be possible to produce a very fast memory chip. At a speed analogous to detecting interference wave propagation frequency in a semiconductor output as something other than noise.   

       Lots of work being done on gated ions. See link.
reensure, Oct 14 2000
  

       I think you lost me between "Assuming one could..." and ..."See link."   

       Never mind, it's past my bed time anyway. (Oh my aching head.)
Alcin, Oct 14 2000
  

       if you looked at this layer hard enough, it's so thin it would instantly turn to dust. waaaaaay too fragile for any real-world application. plus if you ever have a high school science class they tell you that it is IMPOSSIBLE to find any given ATOM, let alone PROTON, in space at any given time.
neo_, Sep 12 2009
  
      
[annotate]
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle