(April 22, 2015) Ever since computers have been small enough to be fixtures
on desks and laps, their central processing has functioned something like an
atomic Etch A Sketch, with electromagnetic fields pushing data bits into place
to encode data. Unfortunately, the same drawbacks and perils of the mechanical
sketch board have been just as pervasive in computing: making a change often
requires starting from the beginning, and dropping the device could wipe out
the memory altogether. As computers continue to shrink—moving from desks and laps
to hands and wrists—memory has to become smaller, stable and more energy
conscious. A group of researchers from Drexel University’s College of
Engineering is trying to do just that with help from a new class of materials,
whose magnetism can essentially be controlled by the flick of a switch.