Microsoft Advances Glass Storage With Project Silica
Microsoft's Project Silica research demonstrates 2 TB of data written in hundreds of layers within a 2 mm borosilicate glass plate using femtosecond laser pulses and machine-learning readers. The project promises millennia-scale archival durability but faces severe practical hurdles, including 20 Mbps per-beam write speeds, decoding complexity, and limited commercial pathways. Analysts say the technology could aid ultra-long-term archives but is unlikely to scale to cloud-wide deployment soon.
Key Points
- 1Demonstrates 2 TB glass storage in 2mm borosilicate using femtosecond lasers and ML readers
- 2Highlights longevity and durability potential for millennia-scale archival compared with magnetic tape
- 3Warns of low write speed, scaling and ecosystem obstacles limiting commercial and operational viability
Scoring Rationale
Moderate novelty and high credibility drive score, tempered by narrow commercial use-case and scale-up uncertainties.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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