Microsoft Researchers Figure Out How to Store Data Inside Glass Using Lasers

Most of the world’s information is currently stored in digital form. Each year we generate more data than the year before. Today, with AI, a technology that relies on a lot of data, the amount of digital information we save is increasing exponentially.

Microsoft’s research arm is working on a data storage method that uses a laser to write on the inside of a window. Researchers say the information inscribed in the glass will last for 10,000 years.

If this method can be adapted for commercial use, it could change the way we store the world’s information. Data rot – the loss of information due to old storage systems – means we need to transfer data at least once per generation to keep it. Otherwise, it deteriorates with age.

Richard Black, research director of Microsoft’s Silica Project, told CNET that his work shows that long-term digital storage in glass is practical and not just a science experiment.

“One of the biggest challenges in today’s storage is that media wears out and needs to be replaced regularly,” says Black. “Glass doesn’t have this problem.”

Using a laser to modify pieces of glass to protect data for many lifetimes could have a drastic and lasting impact on whatever information we decide to keep.

Glass memory

Storing data in glass instead of using traditional digital systems is a project that Microsoft has been working on for some time. Here’s a video CNET made about the project six years ago, when it was just an idea.

On February 18, Microsoft’s Silica project published an article in the scientific journal Nature which shows real progress in this long-term project. One of the big advances is writing the information on a less expensive material, making this technique more affordable.

Originally, researchers used glass called fused silica. But the material, used for components in lasers and semiconductors, is expensive to manufacture, which could make the storage technology prohibitive for many purposes.

Researchers have now discovered how to store information in a sturdy glass used for kitchen utensils, called borosilicate glass. This material significantly reduces costs.

Writing with lasers

To write in glass, Project Silica uses femtosecond lasers. A femtosecond is equivalent to a quadrillionth of a second. This type of laser emits ultra-fast pulses. It is commonly used for eye surgeries because it can cut underneath without damaging the surface.

To store the information, the laser cuts voxels inside the glass. A voxel is like a pixel, but it stores information in three dimensions, like a cube, rather than two dimensions. The video game Minecraft uses voxels to create its worlds.

“The key breakthrough is what the team calls phase voxels: tiny controlled changes written into ordinary borosilicate glass using a single laser pulse,” says Black. “This makes writing and reading data simpler and faster, and allows the use of inexpensive glass rather than specialized materials.”

Since glass is a hard material, it will not change over time. This is why this storage method could maintain data integrity much longer than a standard computer system.

To retrieve the information, Project Silica designed an archive to hold the pieces of glass. Robots collect the glass, then a neural network reads the data written inside. Microsoft has a website that shows bots zooming into archives to retrieve glass.

Perpetual storage

Microsoft has already used this storage technique in proofs of concept. In 2019, Project Silica stored the 1978 film Superman in a piece of glass the size of a coaster.

In Svalbard, Norway, this technology is being used for the Global Music Vault project, designed to “preserve” a wide variety of music. Microsoft also says this technology could complement projects such as the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, an apocalyptic vault which has a repository of seeds from different plants from all over the world.

“Glass is extremely durable and can tolerate heat, humidity, electromagnetic interference and physical damage much better than hard drives or magnetic tapes,” says Black. “It also lasts much longer, meaning the data doesn’t need to be copied every few years.

“Because it is naturally resistant to tampering and does not require continuous feeding or frequent replacement, it is particularly well suited to archives,” he continues. “Over long periods of time, this can also be more durable than current storage technologies.”