PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

By their powers combined

Magnetoelectric materials hold the key to new computer memories

2013-02-08
(Press-News.org) ARGONNE, Ill. – Although scientists have been aware that magnetism and electricity are two sides of the same proverbial coin for almost 150 years, researchers are still trying to find new ways to use a material's electric behavior to influence its magnetic behavior, or vice versa.

Thanks to new research by an international team of researchers led by the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, physicists have developed new methods for controlling magnetic order in a particular class of materials known as "magnetoelectrics."

Magnetoelectrics get their name from the fact that their magnetic and electric properties are coupled to each other. Because this physical link potentially allows control of their magnetic behavior with an electrical signal or vice versa, scientists have taken a special interest in magnetoelectric materials.

"Electricity and magnetism are intrinsically coupled – they're the same entity," said Philip Ryan, a physicist at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source. "Our research is designed to accentuate the coupling between the electric and magnetic parameters by subtly altering the structure of the material."

The Argonne-led team focused on the compound EuTiO3 (europium-titanium oxide), which has a simple atomic structure that suited it especially well to the experiment. The titanium atom sits in the middle of a cage constructed of the europium and oxygen atoms. By first compressing the cage through growing a thin film of EuTiO3 on a similar crystal with a smaller lattice and then applying a voltage, the titanium shifts slightly, electrically polarizing the system, and more importantly, changing the magnetic order of the material.

"The europium and the titanium combine to control the two properties," Ryan said. "The position of the titanium influences the electric behavior, while the europium generates the magnetic nature. There's a shared responsibility for the system's coupling behavior."

This new approach to cross-coupling magnetoelectricity could prove a key step toward the development of next-generation memory storage, improved magnetic field sensors, and many other applications long dreamed about. Unfortunately, scientists still have a ways to go to translating these findings into commercial devices.

Potential magnetic and electric memories each have a distinct appeal to researchers. Electric memories – like the kind used into today's electronics – allow computers to write data fast and very efficiently. Magnetic memories are less energy efficient, but are extraordinarily robust.

"The more we learn about magnetoelectrics, the more we open up this space that gives us the best of both worlds," Ryan said.

Because the electric and magnetic parameters in these particular materials are so strongly linked, engineers might also be able to use them in the future to create non-binary memories.

"Instead of having just a '0' or a '1,' you could have a broader range of different values," Ryan said. "A lot of people are looking into what that kind of logic would look like."

A paper based on the research, "Reversible control of magnetic interactions by electric field in a single-phase material," was published in Nature Communications.

INFORMATION:

A portion of the research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The research was also supported by the National Science Foundation, and the EPSRC (United Kingdom-funded beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.)

The Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory is one of five national synchrotron radiation light sources supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science to carry out applied and basic research to understand, predict, and ultimately control matter and energy at the electronic, atomic, and molecular levels, provide the foundations for new energy technologies, and support DOE missions in energy, environment, and national security. To learn more about the Office of Science X-ray user facilities, visit isit the user facilities directory.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Triple-negative breast cancer subtypes identified using microRNA

2013-02-08
Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer that has few treatment options; This large-scale study shows that abnormal levels of small molecules called microRNA can be used to classify this malignancy into four subtypes; The findings could lead to new ways to identify the best therapy for individual patients and to more effective therapies in the future. COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new, large-scale study of triple-negative breast cancer shows that small molecules called microRNA can be used to define four subtypes of this aggressive malignancy. The ...

Peering into living cells -- without dye nor fluophore

Peering into living cells -- without dye nor fluophore
2013-02-08
In the world of microscopy, this advance is almost comparable to the leap from photography to live television. Two young EPFL researchers, Yann Cotte and Fatih Toy, have designed a device that combines holographic microscopy and computational image processing to observe living biological tissues at the nanoscale. Their research is being done under the supervision of Christian Depeursinge, head of the Microvision and Microdiagnostics Group in EPFL's School of Engineering. Using their setup, three-dimensional images of living cells can be obtained in just a few minutes ...

Premiums for public health insurance affect coverage

2013-02-08
WASHINGTON –Requiring individuals to pay a premium for public health insurance coverage can counteract the coverage effects of expanding eligibility for public health insurance programs to higher income families. That is the finding of a study by a team of researchers from Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS), University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and Columbia University published today in the journal Health Services Research. "Our findings speak to the importance of not just the availability of insurance coverage, but also the ...

Bronchiectasis increases mortality risk in moderate-to-severe COPD

2013-02-08
Bronchiectasis is independently associated with an increased mortality risk in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD, according to a new study from researchers in Spain. Bronchiectasis, a permanent and progressive dilation of the lung's airways, is common in COPD patients and is associated with longer and more intense exacerbations, more frequent bacterial colonization of the bronchial mucosa, and a greater degree of functional impairment. "As COPD patients with bronchiectasis have an increased incidence of other known prognostic factors, we hypothesized that bronchiectasis ...

Using Twitter to predict the influence of lifestyle on health

2013-02-08
Researchers at the University of Rochester showed last year how Twitter can be used to predict how likely it is for a Twitter user to become sick. They have now used Twitter to model how other factors – social status, exposure to pollution, interpersonal interaction and others – influence health. "If you want to know, down to the individual level, how many people are sick in a population, you would have to survey the population, which is costly and time-consuming," said Adam Sadilek, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Rochester. "Twitter and the technology we ...

Student loan debt impacting borrowers, cosigners

2013-02-08
Student loan debt impacting borrowers, cosigners Article provided by Patrick J. Conway, Attorney at Law Visit us at http://www.patrickconwaylaw.com/ Receiving a college degree used to be one of the most crucial steps toward obtaining a well-paying job. After graduating, there would be many opportunities for work in a chosen field. When the economy collapsed and employment was difficult to find, many graduates were left with student loan payments that they were unable to afford. When these individuals considered the options that would allow them to regain their ...

Florida no-fault divorce: Strictly speaking, infidelity is irrelevant

2013-02-08
Florida no-fault divorce: Strictly speaking, infidelity is irrelevant Article provided by Beth M. Terry, P.A. Visit us at http://www.bethmterrypa.com Finding out that a spouse cheated can be a shock, and infidelity is a factor in many divorces. Even if adultery is the reason for a split in Florida, however, one does not need to prove it in order to get divorced. No-fault divorce in Florida Florida is one of many states with a no-fault divorce rule. This means that an individual does not need to prove fault by the other spouse as the basis for a divorce. Instead, ...

Supreme Court hears drunk-driving case

2013-02-08
Supreme Court hears drunk-driving case Article provided by Peter A D'Angelo, Attorney at Law, PLC Visit us at http://www.dangelodefense.com When a person is charged with driving under the influence, they may be afraid about what is going to happen next. Many of these people have never been in any kind of trouble with the law prior to this arrest, and they simply want to put the matter behind them as soon as possible. If the individual's blood alcohol test is above the legal limit, prosecutors may be aggressive in pursuing a conviction. While it may seem like ...

Bankruptcy options for homeowners facing foreclosure

2013-02-08
Bankruptcy options for homeowners facing foreclosure Article provided by Michael J. Logan, Ltd. Visit us at http://www.mikeloganlaw.com The economic downturn has hit many homeowners hard, causing thousands of hard-working people to fear losing their homes to foreclosure. Fortunately, there are some legal options that can help stop a foreclosure. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy are just two of the options, in addition to a homeowner's foreclosure rights. Pre-bankruptcy options A homeowner who is served a notice of foreclosure has a right of reinstatement. ...

Major Horsepower Added to the I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama as Summit Racing Equipment Announced as New Title Sponsor and Lincoln Electric as Presenting Sponsor

2013-02-08
The I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama announced today that Summit Racing Equipment is the new title sponsor of the event and that Lincoln Electric is the Presenting sponsor of the show held March 15 -17, 2013 at the I-X Center, which will officially be called The Summit Racing Equipment I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama Presented by Lincoln Electric. These fully-integrated partnerships will include a diverse array of marketing and branding elements. These elements will position Summit Racing Equipment and Lincoln Electric as the "drivers" to The Summit Racing Equipment ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

ADC improves outcomes for patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer who are ineligible for immune checkpoint inhibitors

Novel treatment combination improves progression-free survival in metastatic, estrogen-receptor-positive HER-2-negative breast cancer

ESMO 2025: Trial results show belzutifan shrinks rare neuroendocrine tumors and improves symptoms in patients

ESMO 2025: Dual targeted therapy shows promise in previously treated advanced kidney cancer patients

New generation of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) shows unprecedented promise in early-stage disease

Sylvester Cancer Tip Sheet for October 2025

Three science and technology leaders elected to Hertz Foundation Board of Directors

Jump Trading CSO Kevin Bowers elected to Hertz Foundation Board of Directors

Former Inscripta CEO Sri Kosaraju elected to Hertz Foundation Board of Directors

Citadel’s Jordan Chetty elected to Hertz Foundation Board of Directors

McGill research flags Montreal snow dump, inactive landfills as major methane polluters

A lightweight and rapid bidirectional search algorithm

Eighty-five years of big tree history available in one place for the first time

MIT invents human brain model with six major cell types to enable personalized disease research, drug discovery

Health and economic air quality co-benefits of stringent climate policies

How immune cells deliver their deadly cargo

How the brain becomes a better listener: How focus enhances sound processing

Processed fats found in margarines unlikely to affect heart health

Scientists discover how leukemia cells evade treatment

Sandra Shi MD, MPH, named 2025 STAT Wunderkind

Treating liver disease with microscopic nanoparticles

Chemicals might be hitching a ride on nanoplastics to enter your skin

Pregnant patients with preexisting high cholesterol may have elevated CV risk

UC stroke experts discuss current and future use of AI tools in research and treatment

The Southern Ocean’s low-salinity water locked away CO2 for decades, but...

OHSU researchers develop functional eggs from human skin cells

Most users cannot identify AI bias, even in training data

Hurricane outages: Analysis details the where, and who, of increased future power cuts

Craters on surface of melanoma cells found to serve as sites for tumor killing

Research Spotlight: Mapping overlooked challenges in stroke recovery

[Press-News.org] By their powers combined
Magnetoelectric materials hold the key to new computer memories