Japanese researchers have just unveiled a component that could revolutionize electronics: a non-volatile switch a thousand times faster than current chips, without heating up. This seems contradictory, because in standard electronics, speed goes hand in hand with heating. However, this device achieves a record speed while producing almost no heat.
This heat problem is central to computers and data centers: the faster a processor calculates, the more it heats up, requiring costly and energy-intensive cooling systems. This new element processes a bit of information in just 40 picoseconds (40 millionths of a millionth of a second), compared to about one nanosecond (a billionth of a second) for a conventional chip. A difference that is not accompanied by additional heat production.
Pexels illustration image How is this possible? The component consists of thin layers of tantalum (Ta) and a material called Mn3Sn, deposited on a silica base. Mn3Sn is antiferromagnetic, meaning it has stable magnetic properties resistant to interference. The researchers used an ultra-fast pulse generator to send light flashes as short as 60 picoseconds through a high-speed photodetector. Each pulse changes the orientation of the electron spins in the material, creating a tiny magnetic force that records the information.
This mechanism has a major advantage: once the information is written, it is retained without any electric current being needed. The device performed over a billion switches without faltering, demonstrating exceptional reliability. Most importantly, the heat released is negligible compared to that of a conventional processor. This removes a major obstacle to increasing the computing power of data centers, whose energy consumption is exploding with artificial intelligence.
But obstacles remain. Tantalum is a rare metal already in high demand, which could pose supply problems. Additionally, the device must be tested in real conditions, outside the laboratory, where environmental factors could disrupt its operation. Scientists estimate that a prototype chip could see the light of day by 2030.
The researchers also believe that by further reducing the thickness of the Mn3Sn layer, energy consumption will decrease even more. The next step will be to develop an industrial manufacturing process capable of producing these components on a large scale, so that they can one day equip our computers and servers.
How does light pulse switching work?
The key to the device is the use of light to control the change of state. The researchers use an ultra-fast pulse generator that produces light flashes lasting 60 picoseconds. These pulses are sent into a standard optical fiber, then converted into a very brief electric current by a special component: a unitraveling-carrier photodiode (UTC-PD).
This current acts on the Mn3Sn layer, whose electronic spins flip. It is this switching that represents a bit of information: one direction for 0, the other for 1. The operation is extremely fast (40 picoseconds) because spins can change orientation almost instantaneously.
The advantage of this process is that it does not require continuous current to maintain the state, unlike traditional transistors. Energy is only used during switching, hence very low heat production. This is a break from conventional electronics, where current must flow continuously, inevitably generating heat.