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Posts tagged with "magentism"

A CPU that Stores Data

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Conventional magnetic storage devices used in consumer electronics, like computer hard drives, MP3 players, and other metallic based products, have separate data storage and execution units. At least part of the delay (or slowness) generated by current products is due to the relatively long way data has to go - being retrieved from the storage, passed to the central processing unit (CPU) for processing and execution, and back again to the storage unit. These back and forth transfers, can dramatically hinder the general performance of the system.

However, the new technology developed by NIST in collaboration with the Korea University and the University of Notre Dame, have proven that thin magnetic layers of semiconductor material could demonstrate antiferromagnetic coupling, where one layer spontaneously lines up its magnetic pole in the opposite direction to the next magnetic layer.

Source: http://thefutureofthings.com/news/6354/a-cpu-that-stores-data.html

New Speed Record for Magnetic Memories

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Current high speed memories, such as Dynamic Static Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), have one critical drawback- they require constant power in order to retain memories. Using a magnetic memory chip known as Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM), information can be stored in the form of magnetization of a magnetic cell even when no power is maintained.

The newest generation of MRAM employs the spin-torque effect for programming the magnetic bits. By using a current pulse, the spin-torque can be controlled and the memory state of the cell can be programmed. To obtain a digital state ‘0’, a positive current is applied and the magnetization is set to a particular direction. A negative current, on the other hand, is applied to reverse the direction of magnetization, creating a digital state of ‘1’. The application of spin torque in MRAM leads the way for a higher storage density compared to DRAM and Flash.

Source: http://thefutureofthings.com/news/5401/new-speed-record-for-magnetic-memories.html
December 2009
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