Data storage

---

How do magnetic waves react to antiferromagnets and how do they spread? What role do “domain walls” play in this process? And what can this mean for the future of data storage? These questions focused on the recent publication in the journal Physical Review Letters of an international research team led by Konstanz scientist Dr. David Bossini. The team reports magnetic conditions on the antiferromagnets that can be generated by ultrafast (femtosecond) laser pulses and have the potential to provide equipment with new functions for power and ultrafast power storage applications.

Source

The demand for storage capacity is growing faster than the existing infrastructure
The increasing use of high-tech data and cloud-based data services means that the global demand for data storage is increasing - and the need for faster data processing. At the same time, the current technology will not be able to last forever. "Estimates say that growing needs can only be met for a limited period of 10 years, in the absence of a novel, effective data storage, and processing technologies could be developed at present," said naturalist Dr. David Bossini of the University of Konstanz.

To prevent the data problem from happening, it will not be enough to simply continue to build more data centers, which work in the current state of the art. Future technologies should also be faster and use more power than storing traditional data in bulk, based on strong magnetic disks. One class of building materials, antiferromagnets, is a promising candidate for the development of the next generation of information technology.

Structure of antiferromagnetic

---

We are all familiar with household magnets made of metal or other ferromagnetic materials. These objects have atoms with all the magnets directed in the same direction - like tiny compass needles - to produce magnetic fields that affect the surrounding environment. Antiferromagnets, by comparison, have atoms with interchangeable magnetic fields. Antiferromagnets, therefore, do not have the magnetization of the net and therefore have no magnetic effect on the environment.

Internally, however, these unstoppable bodies of natural resources that are most commonly found in nature are divided into many smaller areas called domains, where opposing magnetic fields are aligned in different ways. Domains are segregated into temporary areas known as "domain walls". "Although these temporary structures are well-known to the antiferromagnets, to date, little has been known about the impact the domain walls have on the magnetic field of antiferromagnets - especially during short-term expansion," said Dr Bossini.

Important steps for more data storage

---

The ability to attach different magnetic waves to the walls of a domain underscores the ability to actively control the distribution of magnetic waves in time and space and to transfer power between individual waves on a femtosecond scale. This is necessary before using these items for data storage and processing.

Such antiferromagnet-based data using technology can become more orders of magnitude faster and use more power than current ones. They will be able to store and process large amounts of data. Since objects do not have the magnetization of the net, they too may be less susceptible to malfunction and external deception. “Future technology based on antiferromagnets will thus meet all the needs of the next generation of data technology. They also have the ability to adapt to the growing demand for data storage and processing capacity ”, concludes Bossini.

Reference: “Ultrafast Amplification and Nonlinear Magnetoelastic Coupling of Coherent Magnon Modes in an Antiferromagnet” by D.C. Bossini, M. Pancaldi, L. Soumah, M. Basini, F. Mertens, M. Cinchetti, T. Satoh, O. Gomonay no S. Bonetti

Thank you for reading...