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Discovery of a 'holy grail' with the invention of universal computer memory
[An] electronic memory device -- described in research published in Scientific Reports -- promises to transform daily life with its ultra-low energy consumption. [...] The device is the realisation of the search for a "Universal Memory" which has preoccupied scientists and engineers for decades.
Physics Professor Manus Hayne of Lancaster University said: "Universal Memory, which has robustly stored data that is easily changed, is widely considered to be unfeasible, or even impossible, but this device demonstrates its contradictory properties."
A US patent has been awarded for the electronic memory device with another patent pending, while several companies have expressed an interest or are actively involved in the research.
The inventors of the device used quantum mechanics to solve the dilemma of choosing between stable, long-term data storage and low-energy writing and erasing. The device could replace the $100bn market for Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), which is the 'working memory' of computers, as well as the long-term memory in flash drives.
[...] Professor Hayne said: "The ideal is to combine the advantages of both without their drawbacks, and this is what we have demonstrated. Our device has an intrinsic data storage time that is predicted to exceed the age of the Universe, yet it can record or delete data using 100 times less energy than DRAM."
Room-temperature Operation of Low-voltage, Non-volatile, Compound-semiconductor Memory Cells (open, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45370-1) (DX)
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 20 2019, @09:31PM (7 children)
Exceeds the age of the universe.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday June 21 2019, @12:00AM (3 children)
Don't be so negative.
You might get it in 10 years : 1KB in a box the size, price, and weight of an old HP scope, with maybe microsecond access time.
"Revolutionary tech" press releases is like magicians : always focus on what they're not telling/showing, and you often quickly find why.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Friday June 21 2019, @03:07AM (2 children)
And the first releases will require cryogenic cooling.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday June 21 2019, @11:41AM (1 child)
For what it's worth, they tested this at room temp. Oh wait, I was going to find a quote from the paper but it's in the paper title.
Room-temperature Operation of Low-voltage, Non-volatile, Compound-semiconductor Memory Cells
The extremely low energy needed to read, write, and erase bodes well for its cooling needs.
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(Score: 2) by RS3 on Friday June 21 2019, @01:17PM
It was my attempt at sardonic humor. Many do that- you know, the obviously wrong comment that some might find humorous because there might be truth in it?
The point being based on the so many civilization-changing technologies that news media, even science community, like to sensationalize, such as room-temperature superconductivity, cold-fusion, bubble memory, memristors, and those are just from top-of-head memory, and I'm sure I could search and come up with long lists.
Again, just meant as humor, and very importantly: in the context of the comment I replied to.
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Friday June 21 2019, @03:03AM (1 child)
The article quotes someone saying "exceed the age of the universe", yet the actual paper says "Non-volatile data retention of at least 10^4 s", with no reports of tests lasting more than around an hour. Unless I'm experiencing an incredible amount of time dilation, there's a big difference between an hour and the lifetime of the universe...
(Score: 1) by sensei_moreh on Friday June 21 2019, @01:01PM
When I saw the 10^4 sec, I thought, "hmm... about 3 hours." Low-volatility but definitely not non-volatile.
Geology - It's not rocket science; it's rock science
(Score: 2) by AnonTechie on Friday June 21 2019, @10:38AM
Haven't we all heard of "If it's too good to be true, then it probably is."
Albert Einstein - "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."