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To: Terry Mross
"So if they can put that much data on one atom microscope technology must have really improved. Otherwise, why put it on there if you can’t see it to read it."

There isn't "much data" being stored on one atom, there is one bit. For each additional bit stored, another atom is required. What is changed/controlled is the spin of the atomic nucleus, which can be "flipped" by an rf pulse.

27 posted on 03/09/2017 8:33:16 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel and NRA Life Member)
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To: Wonder Warthog

Right, when they say data on an atom what they are saying is that they can detect a toggle. Which means they can store a 1 or a 0 on an atom.


28 posted on 03/09/2017 8:38:13 AM PST by poinq
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To: Wonder Warthog
What is changed/controlled is the spin of the atomic nucleus, which can be "flipped" by an rf pulse

And there is the fallacy in reporting that you can store 1 bit in 1 atom. The overhead needed to address each individual atom among quintillions, apply the pulse while not affecting other atoms, and later read it out likely requires at least tens of thousands of atoms for each data-storage atom. So while this is cute, it is subject to the law of diminishing returns once you try to make it into a product.

34 posted on 03/09/2017 9:19:06 AM PST by SFConservative
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