Record-breaking microscopic QR code battle built to store our future
Summary
Scientists from TU Wien have shrunk a QR code to 1.98 square micrometers, smaller than many bacteria and readable only with an electron microscope. They etched the code onto a thin ceramic film using focused ion beams, achieving 49-nanometer pixels and surpassing the previous record. The work highlights potential for ultra-dense, long-term data storage, with an A4 sheet potentially storing over 2 TB, and ongoing exploration of other data structures and materials beyond QR codes.