Crystalline 'antiferromagnet' has potential for improved digital memory

Smaller, faster, and more robust and energy efficient electronic devices could be developed, thanks to research into an entirely new form of digital memory.

The new form of memory, known as antiferromagnetic spintronics, was recently unveiled in the journal Science, by an international team of researchers lead by Dr Peter Wadley at Nottingham University, and funded by EPSRC and the EU.

Antiferromagnets have a theoretical switching speed limit that is roughly 1000 times faster than the best existing memory devices, Wadley said.

What’s more, they do not produce stray magnetic fields, meaning they can be packed more closely together to produce a memory device with a higher storage density. This also prevents data stored on the devices from being stolen by magnetic scanners.

Finally, unlike ferromagnets or solid state memory, antiferromagnets are not sensitive to external magnetic fields or radiation, meaning they do not need to be shielded from certain equipment to prevent the data being erased. This makes them suitable for use in harsh environments such as on satellites and aircraft, or for some military applications.