Hyper CD-ROM Packs Terabytes

The Hyper CD-ROM drive with 10 terabytes of storage capacity could be commercially available within a year, says its inventor.

The drive allows the recording of data on fluorescent photosensitive glass discs 10 millimeters thick and 120 millimeters in diameter, according to independent Romanian scientist Eugen Pavel. "It's a huge technology with many uses."

The technology is based on the phenomenon of "controlled extinction of fluorescence." He says in order to record a bit of data, a selected area of the photosensitive glass is exposed to radiation, which changes the level of its fluorescence. Unlike conventional CD-ROMs, which are written only on the surface, data can be written on more than 10,000 levels within the Hyper CD-ROM disc, meaning a single disc can hold the equivalent of 10 million standard printed books.

Pavel calls the Hyper CD-ROM a very stable storage medium over time, capable of withstanding high temperatures and surviving the lifetime of the glass, or at least 5000 years.

The drive, which was initially developed for military purposes, could be increasingly useful for both commercial and private users, he adds.

Pavel says he has made arrangements with a manufacturer to distribute his technology, but declined to give details.

U.S.-based company Constellation 3D announced a similar technology, called Fluorescent Multi-layer Discs, in a "white paper" dated June 7, 2000. The company plans to demonstrate several products based on the technology this month and next.