Researchers Develop Method for Information Storage within Plastic Molecules, Potentially Replacing Traditional Hard Drives in Future.
Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) have devised a means of storing digital data within synthetic polymer molecules, effectively transforming mundane plastic into memory banks. In this groundbreaking research, they have successfully encoded and decoded a complex 11-character password utilizing electrical signals, without the need for power or costly equipment typically associated with molecular data reading.
"This is the initial attempt to insert information in the building blocks of a plastic, which can then be read back using electrical signals. This breakthrough takes us a step closer to storing information in everyday materials," said Praveen Pasupathy, an engineer at UT Austin and one of the study authors.
Pasupathy and his team designed four custom-made chemical building blocks called monomers, each chosen for its unique electrochemical behavior. These monomers served as the letters of a newly created synthetic alphabet, allowing the creation of 256 distinct characters - enough to represent almost any keyboard input. By employing this novel chemical alphabet, the team constructed a synthetic polymer that encrypted and decoded an actual password (Dh&@dR%P0W¢).
During the decoding process, electricity was used instead of lasers or complex machinery. As the polymer chain broke down one monomer at a time, each piece released a minute yet distinct electrical signal. By monitoring these signals as the molecule disintegrated, scientists were able to determine the identity and sequence of the monomers, effectively reading the password from the molecule.
Given the increasing quantity of global data creation and subsequent need for a sustainable storage solution, this research comes at an opportune moment. In 2024, global data creation surpassed 140 zettabytes (1 ZB equals 10^21 bytes), and it is estimated to cross 180 ZB in 2023 - a remarkable 28 percent increase within just one year. The exponential growth of artificial intelligence, IoT, and streaming platforms contribute to the mounting pace of data generation, which outstrips the capacity of traditional storage systems.
Traditional storage methods like hard drives and solid-state drives have their limitations, as they struggle to sustain data storage for extended periods (decades-long timeline) and are unable to replace large-scale data storage devices such as data centers, which require massive infrastructure, continuous cooling, and uninterruptible power sources.
In comparison to conventional data storage methods, a synthetic molecular storage system could store vast amounts of data in a minute space for long-term use while consuming less energy, making it highly sustainable. Pasupathy remarked, "Molecules can store information for very long periods without needing power. Nature has demonstrated the theory that this strategy functions."
Despite the advancing nature of this research, it does not imply that synthetic polymer molecules are ready for large-scale data storage. The system has various limitations, such as data destruction during reading, making it suitable only for one-time uses like security keys or data verification. Additionally, it is not as fast as desired, with decoding the 11-character password taking over two hours. Fortunately, researchers are currently working on improving the reading process and developing chips capable of reading these molecules directly.
The researchers' latest findings were published in the journal Chem.
- This research at UT Austin involves storing digital data within synthetic polymer molecules, a step closer to encoding information in everyday materials, as suggested by Praveen Pasupathy.
- The team created a synthetic alphabet using four custom-made chemical building blocks, encoding and decoding an actual password within these polymer molecules.
- Given the exponential growth of global data creation, synthetic molecular storage systems could provide a sustainable solution, storing vast amounts of data while consuming less energy.
- Despite current limitations, including data destruction during reading and slow decoding times, researchers are working on improving the reading process and developing chips for direct data reading.
- As artificial intelligence, IoT, and streaming platforms contribute to the mounting pace of data generation, advancements in tech and science, such as this molecular storage system, could reshape the future of our digital ecosystem.
