Fujitsu announced it had developed a multi-layer optical element for a new storage technology known as heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). Theoretically, HAMR allows for storage of up to 50 terabits per square inch, an unthinkable level by today's standards, much more than 1 terabit per square inch level of today's perpendicular drives.

If the storage density-the number of data bits stored on a given disc surface-continues to grow at its current rate, within the next five-to-ten years the data bits will become so small that they may become magnetically unstable due to a phenomenon known as superparamagnetism-a big word that basically describes the adverse effects of magnetic flux on data bits. As many see it, the solution is to use a more stable medium, but unfortunately modern magnetic heads are unable to write data on such media. According to Hagberg, HAMR solves this problem by heating the medium with a laser-generated beam at the precise spot where data bits are being recorded. When heated, the medium becomes easier to write, and the rapid subsequent cooling stabilizes the written data. The result of this heat-assisted recording is a dramatic increase in the recorded density that can be achieved.