White atoms represent hydrogen while green atoms represent fluorine.

Diamond Data Storage

Through computational nanotechnology, researchers at NASA have demonstrated that it should be theoretically possible to read data stored on the surface of a diamond surface. The bits would be represented a carbon atom bound either by a hydrogen or by a fluorine atom. In the simulation, the scientists found that pyridine should interact with the differing atoms with different atoms, and thus the data might be read by means of scanning tunneling microscopy [1].

Writing data to the surface would be a different story, as the fluorine or hydrogen atoms would have to be replaced by their counterpart. Several years before the fluorine study, researchers had considered using a tip containing one alkynyl radical at the end as a means for removing a single hydrogen atom from a diamondoid surface [2]. While its likely that more efficient (and likely more parallel) methods will be found for atomic data storage and processing, this hydrogen/fluorine terminated diamond system illustrates the possibilities and provides a reference point in the search for the best way to carry out such nanocomputation.

References:

1) C. W. Bauschlicher Jr., M. Rosi, "Differentiating between hydrogen and fluorine on a diamond surface" (1997) Theoretical Chemistry Accounts 96, 4, 213-216. Abstract

2) C. B. Musgrave, J. K. Perry, R. C. Merkle, W. A. Goddard III, "Theoretical studies of a hydrogen abstraction tool for nanotechnology" Nanotechnology (1991) 2, 187-195. Abstract; Full Text