February 24, 2026
Smol code, big feelings
Tiny QR code achieved using electron microscope technology
Microscope-only QR code breaks records — commenters call it cool, confusing, and kinda melted
TLDR: A Vienna lab made a record-breaking QR code so tiny it’s only visible with an electron microscope, aiming at future long-term data storage. Commenters are split between nitpicking the “ion beam, not electrons” detail, doubting real-world use, and joking that it’s just the world’s smallest rickroll.
Austria just etched the world’s tiniest QR code—so small you need an electron microscope to see it—and the internet immediately grabbed popcorn. The lab at TU Wien says their ceramic film code is just 1.98 square micrometers and durable enough for future data archiving. Cue the comments: one eagle-eyed reader clapped back with a “well, actually,” noting it was carved by an ion beam (called FIB) and not electrons, sparking a mini turf war over who gets credit for the microscopic magic. Another swore the QR looks “melted,” doubting any scanner could read it. Guinness gave it a record, but Reddit gave it side-eye.
Then came the existential dread: a commenter called nanotech “a tale of disappointment,” wondering why decades after big promises, we’re celebrating tiny barcodes instead of sci‑fi breakthroughs. Others asked the practical question: if this is about storing tons of data, why lead with a QR code at all? Meanwhile, jokesters braced for the world’s smallest rickroll and one Star Trek fan dropped a “Voyager” reference because of course they did.
Still, the lab’s pitch is spicy: an A4 sheet of this ceramic could hold over 2 TB. If it pans out, the tiniest code could be a big step for long-term storage. Read more at TU Wien and Guinness World Records.
Key Points
- •TU Wien researchers created a 1.98 µm² QR code, officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the smallest readable QR code.
- •The code was milled into a thin ceramic film using focused ion beams, producing 49-nm pixels viewable only by electron microscope.
- •The previous record, 5.38 µm², was held by the University of Münster; the new code is nearly three times smaller.
- •Cerabyte collaborated with TU Wien to use a stable ceramic medium aimed at long-term, repeatable readability and archival durability.
- •An A4-sized ceramic film could store over 2 TB of data; future work explores other data structures, materials, and real-world deployment.