British startup SPhotonixdiscloseTheir "5D memory crystal" technology has moved out of the laboratory and is planned to be piloted in data centers within the next two years. This means that the era of "glass storage" that can preserve data for hundreds of millions of years, just like in science fiction movies, is coming soon.
What is 5D storage? How long can it store data?
This technology originates from research conducted at the University of Southampton in the UK. SPhotonix uses fused quartz glass as a medium and employs femtosecond lasers to write data at the nanoscale.
It is called "5D" because, in addition to traditional three-dimensional spatial coordinates (x, y, z), it also uses the orientation and strength of nanostructures to encode information.
According to SPhotonix, a single 5-inch glass disc can store up to 360TB of data. Even more astonishing is its durability; without external damage, this data can remain stable for 138 billion years, which is essentially equivalent to the current estimated age of the universe.
In other words, this is a truly "permanent" storage solution.
Current Status and Challenges: Write speed remains a bottleneck
While the capacity and lifespan are impressive, the current speed still needs improvement. SPhotonix admits that the current proof prototype has a write speed of only about 4MB/s and a read speed of about 30MB/s, which is clearly not fast enough for modern data centers.
However, the company has developed a clear technology roadmap, aiming to increase sustained read and write speeds to 500MB/s within three to four years. In terms of cost, early write devices will cost approximately $3, while read devices will cost approximately $6000, with plans to launch deployable read devices within 18 months.
"Physical isolation" that doesn't require electricity: a direct challenge to Microsoft.
SPhotonix's technology primarily targets the "cold storage" market, which consists of files that need to be preserved long-term but not frequently accessed (such as bank records, scientific data, and national archives). This glass media can store data without electricity and is essentially designed with "air gapped" protection, effectively preventing ransomware attacks.
This also brings to mind Microsoft's long-standing efforts to promote [something].Project SilicaSimilarly, glass is used for data storage. In addition, German startup Cerabyte is promoting ceramic-based storage solutions. SPhotonix's strategy differs in that it doesn't intend to build a closed end-to-end service, but rather plans to integrate storage media and optical platform licensing into existing data center architectures.
Analysis: The ultimate solution to replace magnetic tape?
In my opinion, SPhotonix's advancement demonstrates that competition in the "post-tape era" has entered a fierce stage. Currently, data centers still rely heavily on magnetic tape (LTO) for cold storage. Although the cost is low, magnetic tape has a limited physical lifespan (approximately 10-30 years) and requires a constant temperature and humidity environment and regular transcription, making maintenance costs quite high.
The advantage of glass storage lies in its "Write Once, Read Forever" capability, significantly reducing maintenance costs and carbon footprint. While a current write speed of 4MB/s might seem like downloading a 4K movie with a traditional 56k modem, for files that only need to be stored once, the focus is on density and lifespan. If SPhotonix can achieve its goal of increasing the speed to 500MB/s as planned, this 360TB glass plate might truly become a "time capsule" for human civilization.
