Experimental computer memories and processors built from magnetic materials have shown promise in using significantly less energy compared to traditional silicon-based devices. Researchers at MIT have made a significant breakthrough in this area by demonstrating precise control of a van der Waals magnet at room temperature.
Deblina Sarkar, the AT&T Career Development Assistant Professor in the MIT Media Lab and Center for Neurobiological Engineering, explained, “The heterostructure device we have developed requires an order of magnitude lower electrical current to switch the van der Waals magnet, compared to that required for bulk magnetic devices. Our device is also more energy efficient than other van der Waals magnets that are unable to switch at room temperature.”
According to Shivam Kajale, a graduate student in Sarkar’s lab and co-lead author of the paper, making radical changes in materials can lead to much better solutions. Kajale and Sarkar, along with other researchers, have published their findings in Nature Communications this week.
Van der Waals magnetic materials, composed of atomically thin layers, offer a smooth surface and unique properties that make them ideal for building efficient magnetic devices. Kajale emphasized the importance of these materials for scaling and commercial applications, stating, “In terms of scaling and making these magnetic devices competitive for commercial applications, van der Waals materials are the way to go.”
The researchers focused on utilizing an emerging material called iron gallium telluride, which can sustain magnetism at higher temperatures without the need for rare earth elements. Thanh Nguyen, a graduate student in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, grew bulk crystals of this material, while Kajale fabricated a two-layer magnetic device using nanoscale flakes of iron gallium telluride.
By leveraging the spin of electrons through a process known as spin-orbit torque switching, the researchers were able to switch the magnetization of the device at room temperature. This achievement opens up possibilities for faster and more energy-efficient computers, as well as nonvolatile magnetic memories and processors for complex AI algorithms.
Looking ahead, Sarkar expressed the team’s goal to enhance the technology further and achieve switching without the need for external magnetic fields. The researchers are determined to bring the versatility of van der Waals magnets to commercial applications.
The work carried out by the MIT researchers demonstrates the potential of 2D magnetic materials in revolutionizing energy-efficient computing, paving the way for future advancements in the field.
