US discovery paves way for extremely fast and compact computer memory

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter have made a surprising discovery that could revolutionize fields such as magnetic computer memory.

They found that nickel iodide (NiI2), a layered multiferroic material, exhibits the strongest magnetoelectric coupling ever observed among any known material of its type.

Magnetoelectric coupling is a unique phenomenon whereby a change in electric field affects the magnetic properties of a material and vice versa.

“Uncovering these effects at the scale of atomically thin nickel iodide flakes was a daunting challenge, but our success marks a major advance in the field of multiferroics,” said Frank Gao, a postdoctoral researcher in physics at the University of Texas and co-first author of the paper.

The discovery could revolutionize the development of ultrafast, energy-efficient devices in a variety of fields, including quantum computing.

Clarifying the mechanism

Multiferroics are unique materials that possess both electric and magnetic order, intertwined by a property called magnetoelectric coupling. This property is highly sought after for technological advancements because it holds the potential to make things faster, smaller and more powerful. Efficient Devices.

The researchers discovered that NiI2 outperforms all known materials of its type in terms of magnetoelectric coupling, which they achieved by exciting the material with ultrashort laser pulses and observing the resulting changes in electrical and magnetic order.

Co-author Emil Viñas Bostrom from MPSD explained that nickel iodide’s exceptional magnetoelectric coupling is due to two main factors.

Bostrom explained that one of the factors contributing to the strong magnetoelectric coupling is spin-orbit coupling, a relativistic effect observed in iodine atoms.

“The second factor is a special form of magnetic order in nickel iodide known as a spin spiral or spin helix. This order is important both for the onset of ferroelectric order and for the strength of magnetoelectric coupling,” he continued.

The impact of this discovery is enormous: Nickel iodide’s extraordinary magnetoelectric coupling could revolutionize several technological fields.

A new era of electronics

“Our discovery paves the way for extremely fast and energy-efficient magnetoelectric devices, including magnetic memories,” Xinyue Peng, the project’s other co-first author, said in a press release.

This paves the way for ultra-fast, energy-efficient magnetic memory, allowing data to be stored and retrieved at speeds far beyond current technology, while consuming significantly less energy.

It also enables ultrafast and reliable communication between qubits, the basic building blocks of quantum computers. quantum computer.

Furthermore, this discovery could lead to the development of highly sensitive chemical sensors that ensure strict quality control and drug safety in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

A basis for further research

This landmark study This represents a major advance in the field of multiferroics, a class of materials that possess both electric and magnetic properties.

For decades, scientists have been fascinated by multiferroics and have recognized their wide range of potential applications. The concept of manipulating magnetic properties with an electric field, and vice versa, has long been the focus of intense research.

This latest breakthrough could unlock the full potential of these extraordinary materials.

The researchers are optimistic that their discovery will not only inspire the discovery of other materials with similar properties, but also promote the development of innovative engineering techniques to further enhance nickel iodide’s magnetoelectric coupling.

This could usher in a new era of electronics focused on unprecedented speed, efficiency, and miniaturization.