Microsoft Can Now Store Data for 10,000 Years on Everyday Glass Thanks to Laser Breakthrough

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Microsoft Can Now Store Data for 10,000 Years on Everyday Glass Thanks to Laser Breakthrough

In a landmark scientific and industrial achievement, Microsoft has unveiled a groundbreaking advancement in data storage technology that allows for the preservation of digital information for an astonishing 10,000 years, utilizing readily available, everyday glass materials, such as those found in cookware and oven doors. This development, stemming from ongoing progress within 'Project Silica,' represents a significant leap towards data storage solutions that overcome the degradation issues plaguing conventional hard drives and solid-state drives, paving the way for the enduring archival of human knowledge.

The glass-based data storage technology, under development by Microsoft since 2019, previously relied on expensive and scarce pure fused silica glass. However, recent research, detailed in the prestigious journal Nature, has dramatically shifted this paradigm. Scientists have successfully encoded data onto ordinary borosilicate glass – a durable, heat-resistant type of glass that is widely accessible and cost-effective. This fundamental change in the storage medium itself is a crucial step towards making the technology commercially viable and broadly applicable.

The innovations extend beyond the choice of glass material to encompass novel and sophisticated techniques for data writing and reading. Richard Black, a partner research manager at Microsoft and co-author of the study, stated that these advancements address "key barriers to commercialization: cost and availability of storage media." He elaborated, "We have unlocked the science for parallel high-speed writing and developed a technique to permit accelerated aging tests on the written glass, suggesting that the data should remain intact for at least 10,000 years."

The research team demonstrated their capability by storing approximately 4.8 terabytes (TB) of data – equivalent to roughly 200 4K movies – onto 301 layers within a piece of glass measuring just 0.08 by 4.72 inches (2 by 120 millimeters). While the writing speed of 3.13 megabytes per second (MB/s) is considerably slower than that of hard drives (around 160 MB/s) or solid-state drives (around 7,000 MB/s), the extraordinary long-term durability of the data is the technology's defining advantage. In stark contrast, most modern hard drives and SSDs typically have a data lifespan of only about 10 years.

The core value of this technology lies in its potential to provide ultra-reliable archival storage. While conventional devices serve daily operational needs, glass and ceramic-based storage offers an unparalleled guarantee for data integrity over millennia. This makes it an ideal candidate for a long-term digital repository, safeguarding the ever-increasing volume of data generated globally. Microsoft has previously highlighted plans to utilize this technology for the Global Music Vault in Norway, underscoring its commitment to preserving cultural and digital heritage.

Key technical innovations detailed in the study include advances in "birefringent voxel writing" using laser pulses. The team developed an improved pseudo-single pulse technique, where a single laser pulse can split to form two, enhancing writing efficiency. Furthermore, parallel writing capabilities have been introduced, allowing multiple data voxels to be written simultaneously in close proximity, significantly boosting the overall writing speed. The scientists also introduced a new storage method termed "phase voxels," where data is encoded into the material's phase change rather than its polarization. This method utilizes a single laser pulse and incorporates a novel reading technique.

Finally, Microsoft has devised a method to identify and assess the aging of data stored within the glass voxels. This technique, combined with standard accelerated aging tests, has confirmed the data's potential longevity exceeding 10,000 years. Looking ahead, the team plans to further refine writing and reading technologies, explore enhanced laser systems, and investigate different glass compositions to identify the optimal material for this revolutionary storage format, promising a future where our data is preserved securely and permanently.

Ekhbary News Agency