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:

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury

New York City's medical specialist advantage may be an illusion, new NYU Tandon research shows

Could a local anesthetic that doesn’t impair motor function be within reach?

1 in 8 Italian cetacean strandings show evidence of fishery interactions, with bottlenose and striped dolphins most commonly affected, according to analysis across four decades of data and more than 5

In the wild, chimpanzees likely ingest the equivalent of several alcoholic drinks every day

Warming of 2°C intensifies Arctic carbon sink but weakens Alpine sink, study finds

Bronze and Iron Age cultures in the Middle East were committed to wine production

Indian adolescents are mostly starting their periods at an earlier age than 25 years ago

Temporary medical centers in Gaza known as "Medical Points" (MPs) treat an average of 117 people daily with only about 7 staff per MP

Rates of alcohol-induced deaths among the general population nearly doubled from 1999 to 2024

PLOS One study: In adolescent lab animals exposed to cocaine, High-Intensity Interval Training boosts aversion to the drug

Scientists identify four ways our bodies respond to COVID-19 vaccines

Stronger together: A new fusion protein boosts cancer immunotherapy

Hidden brain waves as triggers for post-seizure wandering

Music training can help the brain focus

Researcher develop the first hydride ion prototype battery

MIT researchers find a more precise way to edit the genome

‘Teen’ pachycephalosaur butts into fossil record

Study finds cocoa extract supplement reduced key marker of inflammation and aging

Obesity treatment with bariatric surgery vs GLP-1 receptor agonists

Nicotinamide for skin cancer chemoprevention

Novel way to ‘rev up’ brown fat burns calories, limits obesity in mice

USC Stem Cell-led team makes major advance toward building a synthetic kidney

Delegation to Artificial Intelligence can increase dishonest behavior

Repeated head impacts cause early neuron loss and inflammation in young athletes

BU study of young athletes finds neurodegeneration might begin before CTEa

Dr. Carl Nathan wins David and Beatrix Hamburg Award

New microscope captures large, high-resolution images of curved samples in single snapshot

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