Invited expert: Professor Tan Xiaodi（Fujian Normal University），Professor Xie Changsheng（Huazhong University of Science and Technology），Professor Li Xiangping （Jinan University） The traditional optical data storage technologies, like CD, DVD and BD, have the advantages of low cost and long lifetime when maintaining data. But in recent years, the optical data storage market, which has experienced several generations of progress, has gradually become depressed due to the improvement of network transmission speed. Facing the demand of long-lifetime and low cost storage in the era, the spring of optical data storage is come back. We hope the special issue of “Optical data storage technology and its future” can serve as a trigger, through reviewing the foundation of the core technology supporting the development of optical data storage technologies at present, showing innovative optical data storage technologies and discussing the development trend of future optical data storage technologies, so as to make a contribution to the research of physical mechanism of future optical data storage technologies and the development of corresponding storage materials for the majority of colleagues. Innovation of our traditional concepts of data storage cognition will bring new progress to the development of optical data storage.