100 times HDD speed possible thanks to lasers

The concept of light powered computing has surfaced again, this time thanks to a group of researchers at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Using laser technology that we're not even going to pretend to understand, they've figured out a way of transferring data in speeds measured in quadrillionths of a second -- a measurement so fast even our spell checker doesn't recognize it. The technology is around 100 times faster than traditional magnetic storage methods, but it still has some way to go until it can replace your hard drive: for one thing, the researchers need to figure out a way to reduce the footprint of the laser, currently at an apparently massive 5 microns width. As always, we shall wait in anticipation for any developments.

[Via Slashdot]

[SuMtOnE @ Jul 1st 2007 6:09PM]

wow....

[booyaka @ Jul 1st 2007 6:15PM]

Is this what the iPhone is using for its God-like powers?

[Peter Carey @ Jul 1st 2007 7:12PM]

Shutup.

[caoboy @ Jul 1st 2007 9:16PM]

Wow.. we can't say iph*ne anymore.....

[John Doe @ Jul 2nd 2007 12:29AM]

No you can't.

[Derek Ivey @ Jul 1st 2007 6:27PM]

Wow, I wonder how much that will cost when it's released to consumers.

[ukbigbird @ Jul 1st 2007 6:42PM]

How the seven shoals of zircon does that comment add value Derek. Any ground-breaking technology is going to go through a fairly predictable cycle of high cost gestation, reasonably expensive early adoption and then cheap as chips commoditisation. It'll cost what the vendor thinks the market will stand I do so much suspect.

[ukbigbird @ Jul 1st 2007 6:33PM]

I think those crazy dutch have crossed a technology bridge too far.

[ukbigbird @ Jul 1st 2007 6:34PM]

What? You mean like Spaztic?

[booyaka @ Jul 1st 2007 7:59PM]

Stop talking to yourself.

[Simon @ Jul 1st 2007 6:35PM]

well it is wholly acceptable to spell it with a 's'. here in england thats how most people spell it! And dont forget where english comes from! ;-)

[Jongscx @ Jul 1st 2007 6:46PM]

It's only a matter of time before they start using a blue laser... a blue ray or light...

[Mace @ Jul 1st 2007 7:39PM]

or 'frikin' lasers?

[DS @ Jul 1st 2007 7:15PM]

Who the hell writes comments in reply to his own comments on a blog, on a Sunday? Someone really lame, that's who.
The only person lamer would have to be the person commenting on those comments. Yeesh.

[DS @ Jul 1st 2007 8:04PM]

I agree with this guy! How lame!

[DS @ Jul 1st 2007 8:07PM]

Clever, and increasingly lame.

[Revrant2394 @ Jul 1st 2007 8:38PM]

Gosh, what CAN'T we thank lasers for? Stopping superman, they, they always try, but, no.

[Doom! @ Jul 1st 2007 8:40PM]

You know guys, ... .. . I can run that fast.

[jay @ Jul 1st 2007 9:12PM]

Wait, isn't this an iPhone blog?

[trancer @ Jul 1st 2007 9:40PM]

its about time. hard drives are so outdated

[Sam @ Jul 1st 2007 10:13PM]

"a measurement so fast even our spell checker doesn't recognize it"

Wait! Engadget uses a spell checker?

[John Doe @ Jul 2nd 2007 12:31AM]

Yah I was kinda amazed by that as well. I think we just hit on the heart of this story.

[Chris @ Jul 1st 2007 11:16PM]

"quadrillionths of a second -- a measurement so fast even our spell checker doesn't recognize it."

Don't pretend you use spell check, Engadget. We've seen your other posts.

[Dustin @ Jul 2nd 2007 12:08AM]

I lol'd.

[justin.johnson3 @ Jul 2nd 2007 12:55AM]

But how much power does it consume, I still think NAND flash will replace magnetic HDDs in the near future

[Woolly Mittens @ Jul 2nd 2007 1:00AM]

It's something we like to call a "LASER".

[Zzephyr @ Jul 2nd 2007 1:28AM]

Oy, the value-added content of the posts here has dwindled to a quadrillionth of a factoid.

[TheBigB @ Jul 2nd 2007 2:10AM]

I wonder how long it will take before the reading gets faster than the wire and chip transfer...

[Mischa Lockton @ Jul 2nd 2007 2:36AM]

I'll take 10 of these right away. chop chop!

[mthrndr @ Jul 2nd 2007 12:16PM]

Maybe I don't understand it, but seeing as we already have laser reading devices (CD/DVD ROMS) that are slow as hell, I don't see this as being any more than theoretically. And if so, DUH.

[pjw @ Jul 2nd 2007 12:18PM]

Sorry, meant 'theoretical'

[John Stracke @ Jul 2nd 2007 1:52PM]

But can they mount it on a shark?

[AJ @ Jul 2nd 2007 9:27PM]

It would be interesting to see this technology being put to good use. Especially in combination with other HDD technologies currently being developed such as dense water storage systems. Lasers would be pretty impressive, effective and efficient in closed water systems as the speed of light slows down very little in water.

[ELBOA @ Jul 11th 2007 8:23AM]

Parallel ultra160 scsi is still the only solution for gamer and hd video rigs. Until they have affordable drives with reasonable space, that can do at least 170MB/s transfer rates, getting a (so called) faster pc with a top speed cpu and gpu is pretty futile, you'll never see a speed improvement for games or any applications software as long as 40MB/S mainstream sata drives are the pcs main drive.

While cpus speeds and effiency improved 1000 times over the last 26 years hard drive speeds improved little if at all in that time! actually pata was faster, sata hdds still cycle at a whimpering 200Hz 40MB/s while cpus are in the GHZ GB/s range.. a 2500$ pc with a sata drive is no faster than a 350$ pc with that same drive thats why a new rig dont feel any faster. , no matter what cpu and gpu specs , so hdd improvement is waaaayyyy overdue , Anyways Glad the dutch are looking for other solutions rather than sticking with those bottlenecking drives.