University of Shanghai for Science and Technology has announced a breakthrough in optical disc technology.
They claim to have created a disc that can store up to 1.6 petabits of data, equivalent to about 200GB.
This means the disc could hold over 2000 PlayStation 5 games or countless PC games.
This new kind of disc can store data, more than 2,000 games, or 10,000 movies. It is like a DVD or a Blu-ray, but it has many more layers, and each layer can hold more data.
How Does This New Disc Work?
Scientists made this disc using a unique film and a fast laser. This disc can be used for big data centers that need a lot of space and power. The disc can also last long and be easy to move.
The new disc might work with the old disc players, but the scientists need to make a new and cheap player. The new disc could store as much data as many hard drives if they do.
The scientists also think that people could use the new disc to store all their data at home instead of using many devices and online services.
These ways could make data storage faster and easier.
So, the new disc works by using a unique film and a high-speed laser to create tiny bumps on the disc’s surface.
Here are the features of the new disk –
- Multi-layered Structure –Unlike traditional DVDs and Blu-rays with limited data layers, the ODS contains 100 layers on both sides of the disc. This large number of layers significantly increases the overall storage capacity.
- Nanoscale Recording – The data is encoded onto these layers using a unique film and a faster laser. This laser creates minuscule bumps on the film, representing the binary data.
- 3D Data Storage –The bumps store the data in a 3D planar structure, which allows for more layers and more data per layer than a standard disc. A compatible optical drive can read the disc using a laser to detect the bumps and decode the data.
Advantages Of the Disc and Compatibility
- Huge Storage Capacity – With a single disc holding the equivalent of thousands of traditional discs, the ODS can significantly reduce the physical storage footprint required for massive datasets.
- Durability – Similar to existing optical discs, the ODS is expected to offer long-term data preservation. The transportation also seems to be relatively easy compared to other storage devices.
- Compatibility – While compatibility with existing disc players requires further development, the new disc seems more compatible.
- Backup – Long-term data archiving and secure backups for businesses and institutions could be managed with fewer discs.
- Personal Data Storage – Individuals could store their entire digital life, including photos, videos, and documents, on a single disc.
The petabyte disc represents a significant leap forward in data storage technology.
It can change the way we keep and use data. As the discs get better with further development, we can expect them to do different things in many areas and make data storage better for the future.