It is anticipated that within just a few decades, the surging volume of digital data will constitute one of the world's largest energy consu
"It is anticipated that within just a few decades, the surging volume of digital data will constitute one of the world's largest energy consumers. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have made a breakthrough that could shift the paradigm: an atomically thin material that enables two opposing magnetic forces to coexist—dramatically reducing energy consumption in memory devices by a factor of 10."
"The article, "Coexisting Non-Trivial Van der Waals Magnetic Orders Enable Field-Free Spin-Orbit Torque Magnetization Dynamics" has been published in Advanced Materials.
Memory units are essential components in virtually all modern technologies that process and store information—AI systems, smartphones, computers, autonomous vehicles, household appliances and medical devices. Magnetism has emerged as a key player in the evolution of digital memory."
"In physics and engineering, two fundamental magnetic states are typically considered: ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. Ferromagnetism is the familiar phenomenon (seen in everyday magnets) that attracts materials like iron, nickel or cobalt. In this state, electrons align uniformly (...) creating a unified magnetic field that is externally visible.
In contrast, antiferromagnetism involves electrons with opposing spins, causing their magnetic states to cancel each other out. Combining these two opposing forces offers significant scientific and technical advantages, making them perfect for computer memory and sensors. But until now, this has only been possible by stacking different ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials in multilayer structures.
"Unlike these complex, multilayered systems, we've succeeded in integrating both magnetic forces into a single, two-dimensional crystal structure. It's like a perfectly pre-assembled magnetic system—something that couldn't be replicated using conventional materials."
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