5D glass storage 'memory crystals' promise up to 13.8 billion years of data storage resilience, which is roughly the age of the universe — crams 360 terabytes into 5-inch glass disc with femtosecond laser

SPhotonix's 5D Memory Crystal technology, capable of storing data for up to 13.8 billion years, is moving towards real-world deployment with plans for glass-based cold storage systems in data centers. The technology encodes data in nanoscale structures on a fused silica glass platter using a femtosecond laser, allowing a 5-inch glass disc to hold 360TB of data. Despite slower speeds compared to existing systems, the company aims to achieve faster read and write speeds in the next few years. SPhotonix's approach focuses on licensing the media and optical platform into existing data center architectures, aiming to establish itself as a competitive storage solution.