Multi-dimensional optical data writing techniques for cloud-scale archival storage

Abstract

The demand for long-term data storage in the cloud grows continuously into the zettabytes. Operating at such scales requires a fundamental re-thinking of how we build large-scale storage systems to archive data in a sustainable and costeffective manner. In Project Silica, a storage technology for the cloud is being designed and developed from the media up by leveraging the recent progress in ultrafast laser nano-structuring of the transparent media. Together with the advances in reading, decoding and error correction processes, high-density and high-throughput multi-dimensional volumetric optical data writing is achieved, enabling successful end-to-end proof-of-concept demonstrations of the technology. With exceptional media longevity, this could transform archival cloud storage. Here we briefly discuss the development of the technology, key metrics for cost-efficient optical data storage at scale, and successful proof-ofconcept demonstrations.