Magnetism Without Magnets: Tiny Switches Revolutionize Electronics
breakthrough Material Promises Faster, More Energy-Efficient Computer Memory
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have unveiled a groundbreaking material that could revolutionize computer memory, paving the way for faster, more energy-efficient electronic devices. The discovery, detailed in the prestigious journal Advanced Materials, centers on a novel material called NiW, a combination of nickel and tungsten, which exhibits remarkable properties for next-generation memory and logic technologies.
As the demand for advanced computing power continues to surge, the quest for memory solutions that offer high performance with minimal energy consumption is paramount. This new research addresses this critical need by demonstrating a significantly more efficient method for controlling magnetization in minuscule electronic devices.
The NiW material, characterized by its low symmetry, generates powerful spin-orbit torque (SOT). SOT is a key mechanism for manipulating magnetism, a essential process for developing advanced memory and logic systems. “NiW reduces power usage for writing data, possibly cutting energy use in electronics significantly,” stated Jian-Ping Wang, a senior author on the paper and a Distinguished mcknight Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
This innovation holds the potential to dramatically decrease the electricity consumption of devices ranging from smartphones to large-scale data centers, contributing to a future of smarter and more sustainable electronics.
Yifei Yang, a fifth-year Ph.D. student in Wang’s group and a co-first author on the paper, elaborated on the material’s unique capabilities. “Unlike conventional materials, NiW can generate spin currents in multiple directions, enabling ‘field-free’ switching of magnetic states without the need for external magnetic fields. We observed high SOT efficiency with multi-direction in NiW both on its own and when layered with tungsten, pointing to its strong potential for use in low-power, high-speed spintronic devices.”
A notable advantage of NiW is its accessibility and manufacturability. Composed of common metals and producible through standard industrial processes, the material’s low cost makes it highly attractive to industry partners. This could lead to its rapid integration into everyday technologies such as smartwatches and mobile phones.
“We are very excited to see that our calculations confirmed the choice of the material and the SOT experimental observation,” commented Seungjun Lee, a postdoctoral fellow in ECE and the co-first author on the paper.The research team is now focused on the next phase: scaling down the material’s fabrication to create even smaller devices, building upon their previous work.
The ECE team involved in this pioneering research includes Professor Tony Low, another senior author, along with Yu-Chia Chen, Qi Jia, Brahmudutta Dixit, Duarte Sousa, Yihong Fan, Yu-han huang, Deyuan Lyu, and Onri Jay Benally. Collaborations with michael Odlyzko,Javier Garcia-Barriocanal,Guichuan Yu,and Greg Haugstad from the University of Minnesota Characterization facility,and also Zach Cresswell and Shuang Liang from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science,were instrumental to the study’s success.
This work was generously supported by SMART (Spintronic Materials for Advanced InforRmation Technologies), a leading research center dedicated to developing spin-based computing and memory systems. SMART is part of nCORE, a Semiconductor Research Corporation program sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Further support was provided by the Global Research Collaboration Logic and Memory program. The study also benefited from the expertise of the University of Minnesota Characterization facility and the Minnesota Nano Center.