4D Ultra-High-Density Long Data Storage Supported by a Solid-State Optically Active Polymeric Material with High Thermal Stability

The big data era has presented major challenges for data centers worldwide in information preservation aspects, such as storage capacity and long-term sustainability. Here, a newly synthesized optically active polymeric material based on a highly thermally stable penta-functional monomer dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate is reported. This material supports ultra-high storage density with century-long data lifetime utilizing the galvo-dithered direct laser writing nanofabrication technique. Eighty layers of bit arrays and 16 grayscale-level coding examples are demonstrated to confirm the feasibility of the 4D data storage with a data density reaching 10 terabytes per digital video disc. With the much-improved thermal stability (the data degradation point reaches beyond 600 K) than average plastic materials, such as polymethylmethacrylate, this new polymeric material allows a data lifetime of nearly 250 years at room temperature (300 K), as confirmed by the accelerated aging test. This material offers a suitable storage medium solution for next generation optical data storage centers.

Automated summary

The study explores a method for achieving high storage density and long data lifetime using newly synthesized materials and advanced technology. Experimental results demonstrate that this material can provide nearly 250 years of data preservation lifespan at room temperature, offering a solution for next-generation optical data storage centers.