
Five-Dimensional Data Storage - peter123
http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/22673/
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gameguy
Very cool, though I don't like the misuse of technical terms just to sound
more important. It's not actually fully 5-dimensional... each 'dimension' has
only 2 or 3 states. The first 2 dimensions are limited by the size of your
media. The third dimension is based on your laser focal plane resolution
(think 'depth perception' in a way) and is currently limited to two layers in
optical discs. The there's the color (in this example, 3 colors) and
polarization (here, 2 orientations). So it's 12 times more dense than current
mainstream technology, with the added benefit of a tighter placement of data
on in the plane.

The disruptive technology here is really the use of nanoparticle gold instead
of etched polystyrene, and the fact that there is the polarization element.
Unfortunately these points are kind of glossed over and lost in the fancy
media mumbo-jumbo.

