This figure shows a demonstration of rewritable 3D optical data storage in
diamond.
Credit: Meriles Group, City College of the City University of New York
Diamonds may decorate some of the most coveted pieces of bling, but these precious stones could have more practical (though admittedly less sparkly) uses one day: The jewels could be used as a way to store vast amounts of data using atom-size flaws ordered in 3D arrays, according to a new study.
For decades, artificially grown diamonds, which are as hard as their gem-quality counterparts, have been used in industrial drills and saws and in durable coatings for biomedical implants. [Sinister Sparkle Gallery: 13 Mysterious & Cursed Gemstones]
Recently, scientists have explored creating defects in diamonds for potential use in quantum computers. Previous research suggests such machines could carry out more calculations in an instant than there are atoms in the universe. https://www.livescience.com/56655-diamonds-could-store-huge-amounts-of-data.html
