Spintronics: Faster data processing through ultrashort electric pulses


Date:
July 2, 2020
Source:
Martin-Luther-Universita"t Halle-Wittenberg
Summary:
Physicists have developed a simple concept that could improve
significantly magnetic-based data processing. Using ultrashort
electric pulses in the terahertz range, data can be written, read
and erased very quickly. This would make data processing faster,
more compact and energy efficient. The researchers confirmed their
theory by running complex simulations.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Physicists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and
Lanzhou University in China developed a simple concept that could improve significantly magnetic-based data processing. Using ultrashort electric
pulses in the terahertz range, data can be written, read and erased
very quickly. This would make data processing faster, more compact and
energy efficient. The researchers confirmed their theory by running
complex simulations and the results were published in the journal NPG
Asia Materials.


========================================================================== Magnetic data storage is indispensable for storing securely the
huge amount of data generated every day, for instance through social
networks. Once stored, the information can still be retrieved after many
years. Charge-based data storage used for example in mobile phones is much
more short-lived when there is no energy supply. Traditional magnetic
hard drives and components have disadvantages of their own, due to the
moving mechanical parts and the need for magnetic fields which makes them
more power consuming and relatively slow when reading and writing data.

"We were after a fast and energy-efficient alternative," explains
Professor Jamal Berakdar from the Institute of Physics at MLU. He and his colleagues from Lanzhou University came up with a simple idea. By using ultrashort pulses in the terahertz range, information could be written in magnetic nano-vortices and retrieved within picoseconds. Theoretically,
this renders possible billions of read and write operations per second
without the need for magnetic fields.

"With the appropriately shaped pulses the data can be processed very
quickly at low energy cost," says Berakdar. The new concept is based on existing terahertz and magnetism technologies. "It exploits advances in electric pulse generation and nanomagnetism." So far, the method has
been tested in computer simulations. "In recent years there have been
fantastic advances in generating and controlling electrical pulses,"
says Berakdar. Therefore, it makes sense to explore new ways to apply
these pulses to data storage. The concept presented by the researchers
offers a simple tool for controlling magnetic nano-vortices and can
therefore be directly utilised for new storage technologies.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Martin-Luther-Universita"t_Halle-Wittenberg. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Dongxing Yu, Jiyong Kang, Jamal Berakdar, Chenglong
Jia. Nondestructive
ultrafast steering of a magnetic vortex by terahertz pulses. NPG
Asia Materials, 2020; 12 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41427-020-0217-8 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200702100556.htm

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