In this section
@article{Lawson:2026:10.1364/OPTICA.592661,
author = {Lawson, T and Drevinskas, R and Sakakura, M and Whittaker, CE and Donnelly, A and Thomsen, B and Black, R},
doi = {10.1364/OPTICA.592661},
journal = {Optica},
pages = {698--706},
title = {Property-driven analysis of glasses for data storage via femtosecond laser writing},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.592661},
volume = {13},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - The growing demand for high-density, long-term data storage has intensified interest in three-dimensional optical storage based on laser-written structures in glass. We evaluate a diverse set of commercial glasses to determine how intrinsic material properties influence the formation of multibit phase voxels. By analyzing voxel quality and write efficiency, we develop a materials-screening framework that links storage performance to measurable glass properties. Thermal diffusivity emerges as the property most strongly correlated with quality (r = 0.78). The resulting performance landscape identifies a Pareto front in which Schott K10 exhibits the highest write efficiency (0.115 bit nJ<sup>−1</sup> voxel<sup>−1</sup>), while Borofloat 33 provides the highest quality (1.76 bit voxel<sup>−1</sup>). Overall, this work demonstrates a generalizable methodology for selecting glasses for advanced laser-processing applications, highlighting thermal diffusivity as a key factor for achieving precise photonic structuring.
AU - Lawson,T
AU - Drevinskas,R
AU - Sakakura,M
AU - Whittaker,CE
AU - Donnelly,A
AU - Thomsen,B
AU - Black,R
DO - 10.1364/OPTICA.592661
EP - 706
PY - 2026///
SN - 2334-2536
SP - 698
TI - Property-driven analysis of glasses for data storage via femtosecond laser writing
T2 - Optica
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.592661
VL - 13
ER -
For any enquiries related to the MRC Centre please contact:
Scientific Manager
Susannah Fisher
mrc.gida@imperial.ac.uk
External Relationships and Communications Manager
Dr Sabine van Elsland
s.van-elsland@imperial.ac.uk