Sometimes the search for new ways of information storage makes scientists to discover hitherto unknown properties of familiar things. For example, we all know that “classic” storage unit of information is bit. In quantum systems — quantum bit (qubit). But scientists from the Physico-chemical Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences has opened a new unit of information: bit chemical, consists of three separate drops of chemical reagents, located relative to each other in such a way that the reaction taking place inside, and transmit data.
Responsible for the discovery research group of Dr. Conrad Gizynski and Professor Jiri Gorecky. A new unit of information called a “chit” — combining the English words “chemical” and “bit”. In the usual physical memory bits can take a value of 1 and 0. They are written, stored and read by means of electric current, magnetic field, exposure to laser and other phenomena, all of which can combine the common notion of “physical impact”. In quantum computers for data manipulation uses the phenomena of quantum superposition and quantum entanglement.
But for transmission and processing of data in the memory chemical use chemical processes taking place during cyclic reactions of Belousov — Zhabotinsky. The feature of these reactions is that as soon as the first cycle of the reaction starts immediately following. Moreover, the raw materials needed for the next stage, a fully formed during the previous. Of course, these reactions fade over time, but for a complete stop can require hundreds of cycles.
Polish researchers for their development used a variant of the reaction Belousov — Zhabotinsky, where each cycle was triggered by the color change of the solution in order to better monitor the progress of the reaction. In addition, the solution was added an inhibitor on the basis of ruthenium. When illuminated with blue light due to the ruthenium reaction was stopped. In their experiments, the scientists explored a number of options of mutual arrangement of the drops of solution by changing their number. In the end, the best results showed a system of three drops of different size. Was able to identify that if the system of three droplets included in one of the States rotational distribution of the reactions of the Belousov — Zhabotinsky, this state is stable for a long time. The correct combination of the sequence of light pulses with a certain duration allows to obtain the required direction of rotation of the fronts of the reactions, which is the cell to store one bit of information.
At the moment, the duration of saving information is from 18.7 to 19.5 seconds but if you continue to research this time can significantly increase. In addition, the chemical bit can be only 0 and 1, but in the third definition, that can also be used in the future to improve the technology.
Created the first “chemical memory” in volume 1 bit
Vladimir Kuznetsov