This tiny glass ‘Superman memory crystal’ stores 360TB for eternity

Researchers at the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) have developed a five dimensional (5D) digital data disc dubbed as ‘Superman memory crystal’ that has 360 terabyte storage capacity and is capable of surviving for billions of years.

In the 5D writing process, scientists use nanostructured glass and a powerful, tiny, precise laser to store the data within the glass itself. The glass can withstand temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius, and the data archiving device allows 360 TB/disc data capacity. It also offers a lifespan of 13.8 billion years at 190°C.

The first experimental demonstration of the new technology was done in 2013 when a 300 kilobyte digital copy of a text file was successfully recorded in 5D. According to researchers, this technology will work as a stable and safe form of portable memory, and could be highly useful for organizations with big archives, such as museums, libraries, and national archives to preserve their records and information.

Major documents from human history such as Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Newton’s Opticks, Magna Carta and Kings James Bible, have been saved as digital copies that could survive the human race.

The documents were recorded using ultrafast laser, producing extremely short and intense pulses of light. The file is written in three layers of nanostructured dots separated by five micrometres (one millionth of a metre).

The self-assembled nanostructures change the way light travels through glass, modifying polarisation of light that can then be read by combination of optical microscope and a polariser, similar to that found in Polaroid sunglasses.

Coined as the ‘Superman memory crystal’, as the glass memory has been compared to the “memory crystals” used in the Superman films, the data is recorded via self-assembled nanostructures created in fused quartz.

The information encoding is realised in five dimensions – the size and orientation in addition to the three dimensional position of these nanostructures.

“It is thrilling to think that we have created the technology to preserve documents and information and store it in space for future generations,” said Peter Kazansky, from the ORC. “This technology can secure the last evidence of our civilisation – all we’ve learnt will not be forgotten,” Kazansky said.