Data storage in atoms: science fiction or future reality?

This is blog 8 in the blog series about Green IT.

Atoms, the tiniest particles on earth, could spark a revolution in data storage. Just imagine: storing one thousand times as much information on current hard disks. The high data density of atoms will make it possible to store the entire iTunes library of 35 million songs (1) on a device the size of a credit card. This blog describes how it works and looks at the pros and cons of this storage method.

Magnetism is the basis, and the challenge

Storing data in atoms is done using magnetism. Every magnet has two poles (north and south) which can be translated into bits and bytes – 1s and 0s. Normally, magnetic fields are only visible when the entire cluster of atoms is lined up the same way. But when you zoom in on atoms, you can see how independent atoms also function as mini magnets. In theory, therefore, a single atom can represent a bit.

Although atoms are the basic building blocks of everything that exists, they can show fairly erratic behaviour. For instance, they can reverse their magnetic poles, making it difficult to reliably store data in them. But IBM researchers came up with a trick. They used holmium atoms which they cooled down to -233 degrees Centigrade. At that low temperature, the atoms were shown to remain stable in a powerful magnetic field. This opens the door to using atoms as a reliable form of data storage. (2)

New breakthrough achieved in the Netherlands

Scientists at Radboud University are also researching storage in atoms. (3) In September 2018 they made a remarkable discovery: by placing cobalt atoms on a surface of black phosphorous, they were able to distinguish individual cobalt atoms using a very powerful microscope. Thanks to the high resolution and unique properties of this cobalt material, they managed to maintain the cobalt atoms in two steady states (0 and 1) at room temperature. This was a major breakthrough in the attempt to stabilise atoms, making them fit for storage purposes.

Distant prospect

Storing data in atoms is still a distant prospect, and it is unclear whether it will become a commercially viable method. Given the sensitivity of atoms and the risk that the poles will invert anyway (which would mean losing the data), it remains uncertain whether the method will ever find its way outside the laboratory.

Considering the ecological aspect, there is also an important drawback. Storage in atoms requires critical resources. IBM researchers used the rare holmium, while the Radboud researchers used black phosphorous and cobalt. Besides that these are non-renewable resources, mining them also raises questions with respect to the possible ecological impact. This storage method therefore does not rank high with a view to eco-friendly data storage. In the next blog we look at storage in glass, which does seem to satisfy this criterion.

Sources

1. Johnson, Single Atom Serves as World's Smallest Magnet and Data Storage Device, published on IEEE Spectrum on 8 March 2017

(1) Seeker, 'Here's How We Could Store Data on a Single Atom', Video on YouTube. Viewed on 28 October 2023.

(2) Radboud Universiteit, 'Wetenschappers ontdekken nieuwe manier voor informatieopslag in één atoom', published on Emerce.nl on 25 September 2018.