A Material Capable of Capturing Two Opposing Forms of Magnetism Could Help Tame AI's Power Hunger

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, and Uppsala University have developed a new material capable of combining two distinct magnetic forces that, they say, could lower the energy consumption of memory components by an order of magnitude — helping to address the growing energy needs of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

"Finding this coexistence of magnetic orders in a single, thin material is a breakthrough," claims Bing Zhao, lead author of the paper and a researcher in quantum device physics at Chalmers University of Technology. "Its properties make it exceptionally well-suited for developing ultra-efficient memory chips for AI, mobile devices, computers, and future data technologies."

The two magnetic orders in question are ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. In the former, electrons align uniformly and create an externally-visible magnetic field; in the latter, electrons have opposing spins and cancel each other's magnetism out. By creating an ultra-thin material that can combine both properties in one, the team believes they can cut the power draw of future memory chips by an order of magnitude.

"Unlike [existing] complex, multilayered systems, we've succeeded in integrating both magnetic forces into a single, two-dimensional crystal structure," explains project lead Saroj P. Dash, a professor of quantum device physics at Chalmers. "It's like a perfectly pre-assembled magnetic system — something that couldn't be replicated using conventional materials. Researchers have been chasing this concept since magnetism was first applied to memory technology."

"A material with multiple magnetic behaviors eliminates interface issues in multilayer stacks and is far easier to manufacture," Dash continues. "Previously, stacking multiple magnetic films introduced problematic seams at the interfaces, which compromised reliability and complicated device production."

In a magnetic memory device, data is stored by switching the direction of electrons — usually through the application of an external magnetic field. By combining ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism in one, though, a memory device based on the new material would take a different approach driven by its naturally-tilted magnetic alignment.

"This tilt allows electrons to switch direction rapidly and easily without the need for any external magnetic fields," claims Zhao. "By eliminating the need for power-hungry external magnetic fields, power consumption can be reduced by a factor of ten."

The team's work has been published under open-access terms in the journal Advanced Materials; no roadmap to commercialization has yet been disclosed.

Main article image courtesy of Roselle Ngaloy/Chalmers University of Technology.