MIT's light-activated antiferromagnetic memory could replace today's ferromagnets

[zohaibahd]

In brief: Scientists at MIT have achieved a groundbreaking feat by creating a unique magnetic state in a material using light. By applying lasers, they successfully switched an antiferromagnetic material into an entirely new magnetic state. This discovery holds the potential to revolutionize next-generation memory and data storage technology, paving the way for chips far more advanced than today's standards.

The research team, led by physics professor Nuh Gedik, concentrated on a material called FePS₃, a type of antiferromagnet that transitions to a non-magnetic state at around -247°F. They hypothesized that precisely exciting the vibrations of FePS₃'s atoms with lasers could disrupt its typical antiferromagnetic alignment and induce a new magnetic state.

In conventional magnets (ferromagnets), all atomic spins align in the same direction, making their magnetic field easy to control. In contrast, antiferromagnets have a more complex up-down-up-down spin pattern that cancels out, resulting in zero net magnetization. While this property makes antiferromagnets highly resistant to stray magnetic influences – an advantage for secure data storage – it also creates challenges in intentionally switching them between "0" and "1" states for computing.

Gedik's innovative laser-driven approach seeks to overcome this obstacle, potentially unlocking antiferromagnets for future high-performance memory and computational technologies.

The team's innovative approach involved cooling a FePS₃ sample below its transition temperature and then blasting it with a carefully tuned terahertz laser pulse. These lasers, oscillating over a trillion times per second, perfectly matched the natural vibrational frequencies of the material's atoms.

Amazingly, the researchers discovered that these pulses pushed the material into a completely new, magnetized state that lasted for several milliseconds after the laser pulse ended.

While milliseconds may seem fleeting, in the quantum world, that's practically an eternity compared to prior attempts, as Gedik emphasized.

Looking ahead, the researchers aim to refine and further understand these induced magnetic phases. The ultimate goal is to leverage antiferromagnets in next-generation data storage and processing hardware. Their robust magnetic domains, resistant to stray magnetic noise, could enable denser, more energy-efficient memory and logic chips compared to today's technology.

However, significant engineering challenges remain before antiferromagnetic computers can become a reality. The team is optimistic, and their groundbreaking findings, published in Nature, represent a critical step toward that vision.

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MIT's light-activated antiferromagnetic memory could replace today's ferromagnets

 

[Moojuice]

And graphene will change everything...

 

[seeprime]

Researchers cranking out papers to get more grants to write more papers. Academia is pretty weak these days.

 

[Thrackerzod]

Another breakthrough we'll never hear about ever again.

 

[kiwigraeme]

How can I take a scientific article seriously with Mickey Rodent scale -247F. Celsius is acceptable , Kelvin is better
So you need -155 Celsius a reasonably expensive laser that also needs to operate at cool temps.

So not for PC anytime soon

 

[yRaz]

How can I take a scientific article seriously with Mickey Rodent scale -247F. Celsius is acceptable , Kelvin is better
So you need -155 Celsius a reasonably expensive laser that also needs to operate at cool temps.

So not for PC anytime soon

Does it really matter if someone uses freedom or science units? People spend more energy being made about units of measurement than actually trying to see what the units mean. At most, I'll give you that both units should always be listed the Celsius first to make the information as accessible to as many people as possible which, in the end, is the entire point of talking scientific research in a journalist manner.

We don't need science journalism for the people WHO DO know their stuff, we need science journalism to explain this stuff to the people who do. So now I ask, which group of people need things listed in freedom units more. The people capable of translating one unit to another or the people who can't?

 

[kiwigraeme]

Does it really matter if someone uses freedom or science units? People spend more energy being made about units of measurement than actually trying to see what the units mean. At most, I'll give you that both units should always be listed the Celsius first to make the information as accessible to as many people as possible which, in the end, is the entire point of talking scientific research in a journalist manner.

We don't need science journalism for the people WHO DO know their stuff, we need science journalism to explain this stuff to the people who do. So now I ask, which group of people need things listed in freedom units more. The people capable of translating one unit to another or the people who can't?

Merry Xmas, - yeah saw that YT video about freedom units , was quite funny

Saying Mickey Rodent , means I was probably not too serious.- As mickey mouse is american
My actual opinion is for USA consumption -247F is probably fine ( also works as was a movie I think 247 degrees F ) . but dual scales for TS readership probably best

 

[yRaz]

Merry Xmas, - yeah saw that YT video about freedom units , was quite funny

Saying Mickey Rodent , means I was probably not too serious.- As mickey mouse is american
My actual opinion is for USA consumption -247F is probably fine ( also works as was a movie I think 247 degrees F ) . but dual scales for TS readership probably best

Which video? I mean, the history of base 12 as a unit of measure was pretty interesting since we used fingers before we had numbers. I've been using the term freedom units jokingly for almost 15 years now because of my job. The whole process of translating from science to freedom is a whole process because materials in the US are shipped in ordered in our measurement system. If you want a side walk that's 10 meters long. We'll, I have to order materials and build it out of 8ft 2x4s, concrete gets ordered by the "years" ie, cubic yard and the rebar comes in 8 or 10 foot sheets or you can just order a "ton" of it which just so happens to be 1000lbs of rebar mesh in a 330ftx4ft roll made out of 10 gauge wire.

I receive prints all the time from engineers in metric and then have to explain that "well we have to place these cuts here and we need this much material because we can't do 9 meter spans made from 8 foot 2x4s. Then after taking the engineers drawings and turning them into something that's buildable, I then have to work to bring with material costs down, unless they're being a real *** to work with.

However, we just shout out freedom or science to each other when taking measurements

 

[kiwigraeme]

Which video? I mean, the history of base 12 as a unit of measure was pretty interesting since we used fingers before we had numbers. I've been using the term freedom units jokingly for almost 15 years now because of my job. The whole process of translating from science to freedom is a whole process because materials in the US are shipped in ordered in our measurement system. If you want a side walk that's 10 meters long. We'll, I have to order materials and build it out of 8ft 2x4s, concrete gets ordered by the "years" ie, cubic yard and the rebar comes in 8 or 10 foot sheets or you can just order a "ton" of it which just so happens to be 1000lbs of rebar mesh in a 330ftx4ft roll made out of 10 gauge wire.

I receive prints all the time from engineers in metric and then have to explain that "well we have to place these cuts here and we need this much material because we can't do 9 meter spans made from 8 foot 2x4s. Then after taking the engineers drawings and turning them into something that's buildable, I then have to work to bring with material costs down, unless they're being a real *** to work with.

However, we just shout out freedom or science to each other when taking measurements

Did a 2 second search . kind of hard to find what I watched , as freedom units is a common term - anyway reflected americans love of individuality , Along with freedom fries

Even in NZ imperial still has relevance like you say 2 by 4 timber, even how tall as so common in sports talk. people know their metric one as need to quote for passport etc
I still think in inches for waist measurement for clothes

-247F as we never used it , unlike mph , lbs etc - is fairly meaningless , as just think real cold.
Most educated folk know the 2 biggies 32 and 212F

One argument for Fahrenheit is temp for comfort level, is more easier to understand and more graduated
But without a google search to correct my school memory 1 calorie le raises 1 gram of water , one degree . this is also kind of wrong as should be 1 joule and it's also arbitrary using water
And they have now refined a meter and kilo to stuff independant of the french