Researchers have recently discovered a mechanism that allows a concentrated laser beam to alter the magnetic state of a solid material. This breakthrough could revolutionize ultrafast computer memory.
Scientists have formulated a new equation describing the link between the magnetic field amplitude of light, its frequency, and the energy absorption properties of a magnetic material.
The researchers published their findings in the journal
Physical Review Research, presenting a novel equation that connects the magnetic field amplitude of light to its frequency and the energy absorption properties of the magnetic material. This equation paves the way for new applications in magneto-optics, a previously poorly understood field, where the magnetic component of a rapidly oscillating light wave can control magnets.
In computing, memory uses miniaturized electromagnets activated by voltage to store data, which are then read as binary "on" or "off" states. Dynamic RAM, common in mobile devices, loses all its data once turned off.
However, this new discovery is more relevant for a technology called magnetoresistive memory (MRAM), used mainly in aerospace as well as military and industrial applications. Unlike RAM, MRAM does not lose its data when powered off and could be optimized for enhanced performance through this research.
The interaction between a magnetic material and radiation when they are not in equilibrium also represents a frontier that touches on the strange laws of quantum mechanics. The new equation could allow for optical magnetic recording and advance towards dense, energy-efficient, and cost-effective optical magnetic storage devices, which do not yet exist.
Ultimately, this technology could lead to MRAM components that are much faster and more efficient than current memories, using optical cycle durations that could be a million times faster than those of conventional memories.