Science Daily May 5, 2020
A team of researchers in US ( New York University, University of Virginia, NIST, University of Colorado, Boulder) are working to supplant current methods of mass data storage with a skyrmion racetrack memory which reconfigures magnetic fields in innovative ways. It has improved density of information storage, faster operation, and lower energy use. Skyrmions can be moved by applying an external stimulus, such as a current pulse. They are only stable in very specific material environments, so identifying the ideal materials that can host skyrmions and the circumstances under which they are created is a priority for making the technology applicable. Their tests indicated that ferrimagnets are favorable for creating small skyrmions and moving them and magnetic interactions in ferrimagnets can be precisely controlled to favor the formation of skyrmions. The research opens the possibility to both bolster computer power and lead to the creation of smaller, faster, and more energy efficient computer memory technologies…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE