Researchers have potentially discovered a way to make computers process data about 1,000 times faster after evaluating so-called “invisible magnets” as part of a new research project.
The three-year initiative, carried out by a Japanese-German research consortium, will investigate antiferromagnets. Unlike conventional magnets, antiferromagnets are magnetic materials that produce no measurable external magnetic field.
This is why scientists often refer to them as “invisible magnets.” In these materials, each atomic layer has a magnetic direction (spin) that points opposite to the one before it. They’ve recently been attracting growing attention as they could enable ultrafast data processing and slash the energy demands of digital infrastructure.
“Antiferromagnets could help us build much faster and more energy-efficient technologies,” Johannes Knolle, PhD, a professor at the TUM School of Natural Sciences, pointed out.
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