3D Optical Storage

Conventional optical data storage (CD's/DVD's) store data in two dimensions, recording reflective marks on a storage medium (a disk). These disks could potentially hold several layers of recording medium to increase storage capacity, but an issue arises in that as you go several layers deep, layers closer to the reading mechanism (a laser,) interfere with the reading process and make noise. 3D storage procedures circumvent this dilemma by utilizing multi-planar storage strategies to allow the laser to address only the specified unit of information storage. This makes it possible for for an immense amount of potential storage - theoretically, petabytes of data could possibly be stored using this strategy. Additionally, this approach of storage is not limited to disks - one could potentially store information in 3D objects, like spheres or cubes. The main requirement for 3D storage is that the medium can undergo chemical adjustments when exposed to light so that you can enable writing and reading; if these modifications could be reversed, unlimited rewriting of the data is doable.

Unfortunately, development of 3D storage has been slow as a result of lack of severe monetary backing. Though the field appears lucrative, the capital needed to get to a level of development where the technique could be financially self-supporting is viewed as cost-ineffective. Though you can find companies investing in this technologies, development continues to move slowly. Some providers have created claims inside the past that they would have marketable 3D solutions by 2010, though they've failed to make very good on their claims. Maybe the future will see far more focused analysis carried out on 3D storage as people today seek higher amounts of storage space. Only time will tell.