From punching cassettes from the 1800s to modern phones, the object can be used to store information if it has “ON” and “OFF” states.
In computer laptops, binary computers and zeros are transistors that operate at low or high voltage. On compact discs, one is a small dent “pit” that turns into flat “land” and vice versa, and zero is when there is no change.
Historically, the size of objects that make “one” and “zero” limits the size of the storage device. But now, researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UCHICAGO PME) have explored a technique that makes manufacturing and zero, which is through zeros in crystal defects, each of which is the same size as a single atom used in classical computer memory.
Their research is published today Nano principle.
“Each memory unit is a missing atom—a defect,” Uchicago PME ASST said. Professor Tianzong. “Now, you can wrap the debris in small cubes that are only millimeters in size.”
This innovation is a real example of Uchicago PME’s interdisciplinary research, which uses quantum technology to revolutionize classic, non-quantitle computers and translates research into radiation dosimeters into radiation dosimeters (most often called storage how much Radiation hospital workers absorb how much equipment they can from X-ray machines) – Entering groundbreaking microelectronic memory storage.
“We found a way to combine solid-state physics applied to radiation dose assays with a research group working on quantum, although our work is not entirely quantum.” “For quantum systems being studied in progress The people need to, but at the same time, the storage capacity of classic nonvolatile memory needs to be improved. It is on the interface between quantum and optical data storage, and our work is grounded.”
From radiation dose determination to optical storage
The study began during the Ph.D. study at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. He is studying radiation dosimeters, which passively monitor the number of radiation workers in hospitals, synchronizers and other radiation facilities.
“For example, in hospitals and particle accelerators, it is necessary to monitor how many radiation doses a person is exposed to,” França said. “Some materials have this ability to absorb radiation and store that information for a certain period of time. ”
He quickly became fascinated by how to pass optical technology (shining light) that he could manipulate and “read” the information.
“When the crystal absorbs enough energy, it releases electrons and pores. These allegations are captured by defects,” Franza said. “We can read this information. You can release electrons, and we can read the information through optical means.”
França soon saw the potential of memory storage. He brought this non-quantitative work to Zhong’s Quantum Laboratory to create interdisciplinary innovations using quantum technology to build classical memory.
“We are creating a new type of microelectric device, a quantum-inspired technology,” Zheng said.
Rare Earth
To create a new memory storage technology, the team added “rare earth” ions, a set of elements, also known as Lanthanides.
Specifically, they used a rare earth element called trialodymium and Yttrium oxide crystals, but the process they reported can be used with a variety of materials, taking advantage of the powerful, flexible optical properties of the rare earth.
“It is well known that rare earth proposes specific electron transitions, allowing you to choose specific laser excitation wavelengths for optical control, from UV to near-infrared attitudes,” Franza said.
Unlike dosimeters that are usually activated by X-rays or gamma rays, the storage device here is activated by a simple ultraviolet laser. The laser stimulates the lantern, thereby releasing electrons. Electrons are trapped by defects in certain oxide crystals, for example, a single oxygen atom should be, but not.
“In nature or artificial crystals, it’s impossible to find crystals without defects,” Franço said. “So what we’re doing is we’re taking advantage of these defects.”
Although these crystal defects are often used in quantum research, entangled creates “Qubits” in gemstones ranging from stretched diamonds to spinels, the Uchicago PME team discovered another use. They are able to guide when to collect defects that fail to guide. By specifying the charged slit as “one” without the need to charge as “zero”, they are able to transform the crystal into a powerful memory storage device on the scale that is invisible in classical computing.
“In that millimeter cube, we prove that there are at least a billion memories based on atoms – classical memory, traditional memory,” Zhang said.
Citation: “Total-photo control of charge trapping defects in rare earth doped oxides”, França et al., Nanophotons, February 14, 2025. DOI: 10.1515/Nanoph-2024-0635
Funding: This work is supported by the U.S. Office of Science to support microelectronics research under contract number DE-AC0206CH11357
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