The American discovery paves the way for extremely fast and compact computer memories

Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin and the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter have made a remarkable discovery that could revolutionize the electronic realm, such as magnetic computer memory.

They found that the layered multiferroic material nickel iodide (NiI2) exhibits the strongest magnetoelectric coupling ever observed for any known material of its kind.

Magnetoelectric coupling is a unique phenomenon where changes in the electric field can affect the magnetic properties of a material and vice versa.

“Revealing these effects at the scale of atomically thin flakes of nickel iodide has been a huge challenge, but our achievement represents a major advance in the field of multiferroics,” said Frank Gao, a postdoctoral fellow in physics at UT and co-author of the study. paper.

The finding could revolutionize the development of ultrafast, energy-efficient devices in various fields, including quantum computers.

Revealing the mechanism

Multiferroics are unique materials that have both electric and magnetic orders that are linked through a property called magnetoelectric coupling. This property is in high demand for technological advancements due to its potential for faster, smaller, and more efficient devices.

The researchers found that NiI2 outperforms all known materials of its kind in terms of magnetoelectric coupling. This was achieved by exciting the material with ultrashort laser pulses and observing the resulting changes in its electrical and magnetic orders.

Co-author Emil Viñas Boström of MPSD explained that the exceptional magnetoelectric coupling in nickel iodide can be attributed to two key factors.

Boström explained that one of the factors contributing to the strong magnetoelectric coupling was spin-orbit coupling, a relativistic effect seen in iodine atoms.

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

The implications of this discovery are enormous. The extraordinary magnetoelectric coupling of nickel iodide could revolutionize several technological fields.

A new era in electronics

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

It could pave the way for ultra-fast, energy-efficient magnetic memory that allows data to be stored and retrieved at speeds far exceeding current technology while consuming significantly less power.

Additionally, it could enable lightning-fast and highly reliable communication between qubits, the basic building blocks of quantum computers.

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

Reason for further research

This groundbreaking study represents a major leap forward in the field of multiferroics, a class of materials with both electrical and magnetic properties.

For decades, scientists have been fascinated by multiferroics and have recognized their potential for a wide range of applications. The concept of manipulating magnetic properties by electric fields and vice versa has long been the subject of intense research.

This latest breakthrough may lead to unlocking the full potential of these extraordinary materials.

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

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