R&D: Molecular HDD Logic for Encrypted Massive Data Storage

Nature Communications has published an article written by Bingjie Guo, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacturing Technology, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, Xinhui Chen, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacturing Technology, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, and Colleague of Information Engineering, Jinhua University of Vocational Technology, Jinhua, China, An Chen, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacturing Technology, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, Jinxin Wang, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, Wuhong Xue, Tao Wang, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Molecules and Magnetic Information Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan, China, Zhixin Wu, Xiaolong Zhong, Jianmin Zeng, Jinjin Li, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacturing Technology, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, Mao Li, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China, and State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China, Xiaohong Xu, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Molecules and Magnetic Information Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan, China , Yu Chen, Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China, and Gang Liu, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacturing Technology, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, and School of Materials, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China.

Abstract: “Organic memories, with small dimension, fast speed and long retention features, are considered as promising candidates for massive data archiving. In order to satisfy the requirements for ultra-low power and high-security information storage, we design a conceptual molecular hard-disk (HDD) logic scheme that is capable to execute in-situ encryption of massive data in pW/bit power-consumption range. Beneficial from the coupled mechanism of counter-balanced redox reaction and local ion drifting, the basic HDD unit consisting of ~200 self-assembled Ru^XLPH molecules in a monolayer (SAM) configuration undergoes unique conductance modulation with continuous, symmetric and low-power switching characteristics. 96-state memory performance, which allows 6-bit data storage and single-unit one-step XOR operation, is realized in the Ru^XLPH SAM sample. Through single-unit XOR manipulation of the pixel information, in-situ bitwise encryption of the Mogao Grottoes mural images stored in the molecular HDD is demonstrated.“