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QR code smaller than bacterium could hold data for centuries

Fahad Redha

March 30, 2026
3 min read

QR code smaller than bacterium could hold data for centuries

Researchers at TU Wien have created a tiny QR code, only visible with an electron microscope. The code, measuring just 1.98 square micrometres or less than most bacteria, was made in collaboration with data storage firm Cerabyte. It has officially been recognised in the Guinness Book of Records.

But the breakthrough is more than just its size. It could have a major impact on long-term data storage. Typical storage methods, including magnetic drives or electric systems, degrade after just a few years. Encoding information into a ceramic material is believed to be able to preserve it for centuries or even millennia.

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“The structure we have created here is so fine that it cannot be seen with optical microscopes at all,” says Professor Paul Mayrhofer from TU Wien’s Institute of Materials Science and Technology. “But that is not even the truly remarkable part. Structures on the micrometre scale are nothing unusual today, it is even possible to fabricate patterns made of individual atoms. However, that alone does not result in a stable, readable code.”

At tiny scales, atoms are able to change positions or fill gaps. This can erase stored data. “What we have done is something fundamentally different,” Mayrhofer explains. “We have created a tiny, but stable and repeatedly readable QR code.”

The material itself is crucial to the achievement. Research was conducted on thin ceramic films including those used to coat cutting tools. The material neds to be stable and durable under even extreme conditions, making it ideal for data storage.

With focused ion beams, the team engraved the QR code into a thin ceramic layer, with each pixel being only 49 nanometres, a tenth the wavelength of visible light. As a result, the pattern cannot be captured without an electron microscope.

Over 2 terabytes of data can be fitted to the size of a single sheet of A4 paper with this method. Moreover, the ceramic data can remain intact indefinitely and does not need any energy to hold on to the stored data.

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About Author

Fahad Redha

Fahad is the Content Editor at EyeOnLondon, overseeing the publication’s editorial output across news, culture, and lifestyle. With a background in journalism from the University of the Creative Arts, he brings a broad range of experience from local London reporting in Kensington & Chelsea, where he held roles including motoring, events, and health editor. At EyeOnLondon, Fahad plays a central role in shaping content and maintaining editorial standards. His work spans everything from daily news to feature coverage, with a particular strength in motoring and events. He also incorporates photography into his reporting, adding a visual layer to many of his stories. Fahad joined EyeOnLondon in February 2021.