Mellon optical memory was an early form of computer memory invented at the Mellon Institute (today part of Carnegie Mellon University) in 1951.[1][2] The device used a combination of photoemissive and phosphorescent materials to produce a "light loop" between two surfaces. The presence or lack of light, detected by a photocell, represented a one or zero. Although promising, the system was rendered obsolete with the introduction of magnetic-core memory in the early 1950s. It appears that the system was never used in production.
Computer memory and computer data storage types |
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Volatile |
Non-volatile |