Yesterday GE announced it had a breakthrough in its research into micro-holographic disc technology. The company has been working on this new optical storage method for over 3 years now, but it has finally demonstrated the technology needed to put 500 gigabytes of data onto a single DVD-sized disc.
This news could impact the way we think about digital data storage in the future. With the capability of storing an entire collection of music or the complete Star Wars series in HD on a single disc, this technology certainly has practical applications. However, the goal at GE is to squeeze a terabyte or more onto a single disc. That means you could back up your entire digital life with one piece of physical media that will last a lifetime.
Holographic data storage is still in the lab stages, which means commercial production is a few years off…so don’t give up on Blu-ray just yet. However, the fact that this technology is in the pipeline means that software and hardware developers can begin to imagine practical applications and new products.
For more information on the science behind holographic data storage, check out these links:
Official GE Press Release
GE Research Blog by Brian Lawrence, head of GE’s holographic storage program
New York Times Article
