Fast Magnetic Data Storage

(ETH Zurich, September 07, 2017)

Magnetic data storage has long been considered too slow for use in the working memories of computers. Researchers at ETH have now investigated a technique by which magnetic data writing can be done considerably faster and using less energy. Instead of using a current-carrying coil producing a magnetic field to change the direction of magnetization they used an electric current passing through a specially coated semiconductor film. They found that the magnetization inversion happened in less than one nanosecond – considerably faster than in other recently studied techniques. In a first step, the researchers would now like to optimize their materials in order to make the inversion work even faster and at smaller currents.