Microsoft’s Project Silica uses cutting-edge technology to store data in a new way. Its system, which uses lasers to encode information into glass, is a more hopeful answer to the world’s growing challenges with data preservation. Dr. Richard Black, research lead for Microsoft’s Project Silica. This workshop project addresses the vulnerabilities of traditional data storage approaches that are ephemeral and prone to obsolescence.
Current data storage solutions, like magnetic tape, have a life expectancy of about 30 years. In fact, the world is expected to create more than 394 zettabytes of data by 2028. This renders the demand for trustworthy, sustainable data storage practices as critical as ever. Project Silica is designed to meet these needs and address these challenges. It taps into the amazing toughness of glass, lending it immunity to moisture, temperature extremes, and electromagnetic interference.
Femtosecond lasers technology are at the core of this movement. These ultrafast lasers produce extremely high-power pulses that last just a few quadrillionths of a second. These particular lasers are so focused that they are capable of writing information into glass using ultra-small three-dimensional structures called voxels. Microsoft researchers have developed two distinct types of voxels: phase voxels and birefringent voxels. Each voxel is the size of a single rat synapse (0.5 micrometers). They’re spaced about 6 micrometers apart, and you can address them with a single laser pulse.
Project Silica is stunningly efficient. One laser beam alone is capable of recording data at an incredible 25.6 megabits per second, shooting millions of laser pulses in quick succession. The new capacity for storage is indeed unprecedented. That’s a remarkable 4.84 terabytes of data packed into a glass chip that measures only 12 square centimeters with a depth of only 2 millimeters!
Science indicates that data encoded with Project Silica can remain accessible for over 10 millennia at 290 °C. Under typical ambient conditions, it can last much longer. Black notes,
“It’s designed for data you want to write once and preserve for a very long time.” – Richard Black
Glass provides the best stability, making it the best long-term archival choice. It can keep that important data safe for hundreds of years, protecting our national libraries, scientific documentation, and cultural heritage.
“At room temperature, glass is effectively a solid and does not flow on any meaningful timescale.” – Richard Black
Femtosecond lasers have remarkable characteristics, however they present cost obstacles in Project Silica. Yet their current out-of-pocket expense creates a massive barrier to adoption. Urgency versus practicality This leads to perhaps the biggest question about the practicality of scaling this technology for mass use. Black highlights the advantages of this method:
The sheer amount of data in the world is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Microsoft’s Project Silica is at the forefront of developing this radical new storage medium, with the potential to completely change how we preserve information. The intent of the project is to try to prolong the life of data we have in storage. In addition, it aims to preserve this knowledge in its original form for generations to come.
“This significantly reduces the power required from the laser to store data, and it does not require the laser focus to alternate between staying in the same place to deliver multiple pulses and movement to the next location.” – Richard Black
As the volume of global data continues to escalate, Microsoft’s Project Silica stands at the forefront of developing a storage solution that could redefine how information is preserved. The project not only aims to extend the lifespan of stored data but also seeks to ensure that this information remains intact and accessible for future generations.