Glowing dyes move data storage beyond binary

polymer film with dyes patterned in the shape of an owl

Source: © Royal Society of Chemistry

A method to chemically save information in quaternary code using dyes could change how we approach data storage

A flexible, transparent polymer film endowed with two small molecules can glow in three different colours, enabling data storage in a quaternary code. This chemical approach to data storage could allow more information to be stored in a smaller space than is possible with binary systems.