Researchers at New York University have developed a method
for creating and directing fast moving waves in magnetic fields that have the potential
to enhance communication and information processing in computer chips and other
consumer products.
Their method, reported in the most recent issue of the
journal Nanotechnology, employs “spin waves,” which are waves that move in
magnetic materials. Physically, these spin waves are much like water waves—like
those that propagate on the surface of an ocean. However, with a purpose akin
to that of electromagnetic waves (i.e., light and radio waves), spin waves can
efficiently transfer energy and information from place to place.