Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bionet!ames!lll-winken!uunet!modcomp!joe
From: joe@modcomp.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Cryo-refrigerators
Message-ID: <6800008@modcomp>
Date: 15 Mar 89 18:17:00 GMT
References: <4409@pt.cs.cmu.edu>
Lines: 16
Nf-ID: #R:pt.cs.cmu.edu:4409:modcomp:6800008:000:655
Nf-From: modcomp.UUCP!joe    Mar 15 13:17:00 1989


> The only reason to talk about fiber is that we have fiber drivers now;
> but if we had the photonic switching technology necessary to use it as
> a storage medium efficiently, it would be easier to use free-space
> storage (bounce the beam around between mirrors).  At a reasonable
> limit for visible light you can store a bit in about a 5-micron cube
> of empty space; this gives you 100 terabytes in an (empty!) 20-inch box.
> 
> Need those switches, though.

Sounds pretty neat.  The cube will need, however, a *real good* battery
backup to keep those power glitches from dropping the 100 terabytes into the
bit bucket.

joe korty
uunet!modcomp!joe