(May 18, 2015) Scientists from Paris and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have been
able to switch ferromagnetic domains on and off with low voltage in a structure
made of two different ferroic materials. The switching works slightly above
room temperature. Their results, which are published online in Scientific Reports, might inspire future
applications in low-power spintronics, for instance for fast and efficient data
storage.
Information can be written as a sequence of bit digits, i.e.
“0” and “1”. Materials which display ferromagnetism are currently used to
handle or store such bits of information in magnetic memories by controlling
the magnetization strength or direction of the individual bits via magnetic
fields. But the use of magnetic fields goes along with high power consumption.
Now, a comparatively low power approach which uses electric fields (voltages)
instead to write magnetic information might do the trick, as demonstrated by HZB
scientists in collaboration with Lee C. Phillips and his French colleagues.