A team of EU-funded scientists from Spain and France has developed a new method of magnetic data writing. This study proposes to eliminates the need for cumbersome magnetic fields and provides extremely simple and reversible writing of memory elements, by injecting an electric current parallel to the plane of a magnetic bit. The researchers team outline how their method could help tackle problems for physicists and engineers as well as meet changing market requirements.

Spanish and French researchers have developed a new method of magnetic data writing which could allow the information storage density to be increased without compromising the ability to write it. The 'Nanoscale magnetization dynamics' (NOMAD) project received a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant worth some €1.5 million funded under the 'Ideas' Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The key to this effect lies in engineering asymmetric interfaces at the top and bottom of the magnetic layer, thereby inducing an electric field across the material.

This research has many implications for the development of magnetic random access memories, or 'MRAMs. If these MRAMs were to replace standard RAMs, which need to be refreshed every few milliseconds, it would mean a computer could be instantly powered up and a substantial amount of energy saved.

An additional advantage to this study is that current-induced magnetic writing is more efficient in hard magnetic layers than in 'soft' ones. This is somehow counterintuitive, as soft magnetic materials are by definition easier to switch using external magnetic fields. However, it is very practical since hard magnets can be miniaturised to nanometre dimensions without losing their magnetic properties. This could allow the information storage density to be increased without compromising the ability to write it.