5D optical data storage paves the way for 10,000x greater capacity than Blu-ray

Researchers have developed a new, fast and energy-efficient laser writing method for producing high-density nanostructures in silica glass. — AFP Relaxnews

Researchers at the UK’s University of Southampton are working on a five-dimensional optical data storage medium that could hold the equivalent of 10,000 times more data than a single Blu-ray disc.

According to a study published via Optica, a team of researchers, led by Peter G. Kazansky, has developed a high-speed laser writing method that can store some 500 terabytes of data on a glass disc the size of a CD. This 500 TB of data is equivalent to 500,000 GB, or the content of 10,000 Blu-ray discs.