5D memory crystal keeps data intact for 13.8 billion years

• SPhotonix’s 5D memory crystal on a five-inch glass disc can reliably store up to 360TB
• Data in 5D crystals remains stable at 190^o Celsius indefinitely
• Current prototypes read data at roughly 30 MBps and write at 4 MBps

SPhotonix has launched its new 5D memory crystal, a storage medium designed for extreme longevity rather than everyday convenience.

The technology relies on fused silica glass etched with femtosecond lasers, encoding information in microscopic structures that alter light polarization.

These structures store data using three spatial coordinates alongside orientation and intensity, forming a 5D encoding method.