New theory may lead to faster hard drives

Researchers from the Radboud university in Nijmegen and a few other research institutes have determined how magnets at the smallest level of functioning. Their research would have consequences for magnetic data storage.

On the basis of a new theory seems to be a new material will be very useful for faster magnetic data storage. Yet, it was assumed that all elements in a magnetic field have identical worn: the spins, or molecular magnets, according to the prevailing theory at the same time, and identical, change. The theory, however, proved in practice, is not tenable, but a new theory about the power of magnets to give predictions with observations correspond to. This new theory was developed by researchers of the Radboud university in Nijmegen, the netherlands Uppsala university in Sweden and onderszoeksinstituten in Italy and the Ukraine.

The theory, which is published under the name of Ultrafast Spin Dynamics in Multisublattice Magnets, describes how the spins in a magnet change on a very short timescale. Otherwise than previously assumed moving spins are not uniform and at the same time, but moreover, the characteristics of the spins strongly depends on the material.

Important consequence is that the theory is an explanation for experiments with antiferromagnetische materials that momentary magnetic appear when the magnetic field is reversed. Antiferromagnetisch material would now play an important role in the development of technology for faster data storage, the researchers suggest. The applicability of this material for the development of faster hard drives would be so huge, that a patent on the technique has been applied for.