Terabit-scale high-fidelity diamond data storage

Abstract

In the era of digital information, realizing efficient and durable data storage solutions is paramount. Innovations in storage capacity, data throughput, device lifespan and energy consumption are pressing necessities for the continuous progression of practical digital data storage technologies. Here we present a diamond storage medium that exploits fluorescent vacancy centres as robust storage units and provides a high storage density of 14.8 Tbit cm⁻³, a short write time of 200 fs and an estimated ultralong maintenance-free lifespan on the scale of millions of years. High-speed readout through plane and volume imaging is demonstrated with a high fidelity exceeding 99%, showing that the approach addresses the practical demands of digital data storage and provides a promising solution for future storage requirements.