The sensitivity of thermomechanical reading of data

The size of elements of modern thermomechanical data storage devices approaches the length of molecular free path for gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. In such devices, the heat transfer by gas molecules is the main factor defining the sensitivity of thermomechanical reading of data. This paper deals with heat transfer in devices with hardly any collisions between gas molecules. The developed mathematical model and numerical codes are used to estimate the sensitivity of thermomechanical reading of data with the device structure filled with various inert gases such as helium, neon, and argon. It is demonstrated that filling with helium makes it possible to significantly increase this sensitivity. The simulation and estimation results demonstrate that the sensitivity of the existing method of thermomechanical reading of data is not reduced catastrophically when the dimensions of reading cell are reduced at least to dimensions somewhat smaller than the molecular free path for gas.