Microsoft Develops “Millennium Glass”: 4.8TB Data in a Single Pane

Microsoft researchers have developed a groundbreaking glass-based data storage technology by encoding data using high-energy lasers in 3D borosilicate glass.

A single 12 cm wide, 2 mm thick glass square can store 4.8TB of data, equivalent to about 2 million printed books. Tests show that at 290°C, the data can last 10,000 years, and at room temperature, the preservation period could be dozens to hundreds of times longer.

The research was published on February 18 in the prestigious journal Nature. This breakthrough opens the door to ultra-durable, high-density data storage, offering revolutionary solutions for archival preservation, historical records, and future-proof information security.