SPhotonix Advances 5D Memory Crystal Technology for Cold Data Storage

SPhotonix, a startup founded in 2024 and spun out from research at the University of Southampton, has developed a groundbreaking data storage medium known as the 5D Memory Crystal. This technology utilizes fused silica glass platters, which are etched with femtosecond laser pulses to create tiny voxels—three-dimensional pixels. Each voxel can store data in five dimensions by varying its light refraction characteristics based on polarization and direction. This innovative approach allows a single 5-inch glass disc to hold up to 360 terabytes of data, with an estimated durability of 13.8 billion years, the approximate age of the universe.

Data Can Be Stored for Billions of Years in This 5D CrystalThe Register UK5D glass storage 'memory crystals' promise up to 13.8 billion years of data storage resilience, which is roughly the age of the universe — crams 360 terabytes into 5-inch glass disc with femtosecond l

SPhotonix has recently transitioned its 5D Memory Crystal technology from laboratory research to real-world applications, aiming to pilot glass-based cold storage systems in data centers within the next two years. The company has raised $4.5 million to advance its technology from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 to TRL 6, which involves prototype demonstrations in operational environments. Ilya Kazansky, co-founder and CTO, emphasized the importance of addressing the growing demand for cold data storage, which constitutes 60 to 80 percent of all data stored globally.

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Currently, the prototypes achieve write speeds of approximately 4 megabytes per second (MBps) and read speeds of around 30 MBps. SPhotonix plans to enhance these speeds to 500 MBps within three to four years, making the technology competitive with existing archival systems. The initial costs for the read and write devices are projected to be $6,000 and $30,000, respectively. The company is primarily targeting the hyperscaler data center and business-to-business markets, focusing on applications that require long-term data storage.

Data Can Be Stored for Billions of Years in This 5D Crystal

While SPhotonix's 5D Memory Crystal technology offers significant advantages in durability and data density, it faces challenges in speed compared to traditional storage solutions like solid-state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs). Critics may question whether the technology can transition from impressive density demonstrations to competitive system-level performance, which will be crucial for its adoption in modern data centers.

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Ilya Kazansky stated, "We believe this is the only way that the industry is going to be able to scale the data storage capacity given the growing demand." He also noted that many businesses have historically relied on less efficient storage methods due to inertia, despite the environmental impact and failure rates associated with SSDs and HDDs.

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• “We are not aiming to become a manufacturing company,” — Ilya Kazansky, Co-founder and CTO of SPhotonix

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• “Statistics show that between 60 to 80 percent of all data which is currently stored globally is classed as cold data,” — Ilya Kazansky, Co-founder and CTO of SPhotonix

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• “We need another three or four years of R&D to get it to the production and marketing standpoint,” — Ilya Kazansky, Co-founder and CTO of SPhotonix

The Register UK

SPhotonix plans to continue its research and development efforts, with a field-deployable reader expected within 18 months. The company aims to form partnerships and consortiums to facilitate the integration of its technology into existing data center architectures, positioning itself as a key player in the future of cold data storage solutions.

5D glass storage 'memory crystals' promise up to 13.8 billion years of data storage resilience, which is roughly the age of the universe — crams 360 terabytes into 5-inch glass disc with femtosecond l