Accidental Discovery Uses Light to Increase Information Storage

Nov-22-13 An accidental discovery that allows scientists to increase the electrical conductivity of a crystal by exposing it to light could lead to dramatic increases in the performance of computer chips.

The discovery was made when Marianne Tarun, a Washington State University doctoral student, noticed that leaving a sample of strontium titanate out in the light for a day caused its conductivity to increase sharply. Called ‘persistent photoconductivity,’ the effect was achieved at room temperature and lasted over a number of days. The discovery could lead to using crystals to store information, which in turn could open the door to the ability to store huge amounts of data.

More Info about this Invention:

[PHYS.ORG]
[WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY]

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