February 18, 2026, 9:20 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Researchers at TU Wien have set a new world record. They developed the smallest QR code ever created and successfully read.
The QR code measures just 1.98 square micrometers, making it smaller than many bacteria. Its individual pixels are only 49 nanometers in size–significantly smaller than the wavelength of visible light. As a result, the structure remains invisible under a light microscope and can only be displayed and read using an electron microscope. Despite this extreme miniaturization, the team succeeded in creating a stable and reproducible structure.
Ceramic Thin Films as a Basis
For production, the researchers used ceramic thin films. Such materials are used in particularly durable coatings, among other applications. A focused ion beam was used to write the QR code directly into the ceramic surface. This is a physical structure within the material itself, not an electrical storage like traditional data carriers.
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Record with Potential
The mini-code has been officially entered into the “Guinness Book of Records.” It is about 63 percent smaller than the previous best. However, the underlying technology is crucial. Ceramic data storage could theoretically preserve information over very long periods and does not require a permanent power supply.
Additionally, the potential storage density is remarkable. Theoretically, more than 2 terabytes of data could be stored on the surface of a letter-sized sheet of paper. This is roughly equivalent to the storage of modern laptops.
Research Continues
The team now plans to test additional materials, increase writing speed, and develop processes that can be used outside the lab. The goal is to integrate complex data structures into ceramic layers in a robust and energy-efficient manner in the future.
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The world’s smallest QR code is thus less of a gimmick and more a potential step toward new storage technologies.