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Nickel iodide could be the key to ultra-fast, smaller memory devices in the future, research states

When researchers irradiate a thin layer of nickel iodide with an ultrafast laser pulse, corkscrew-shaped features arise. (Source: EurekAlert)
When researchers irradiate a thin layer of nickel iodide with an ultrafast laser pulse, corkscrew-shaped features arise. (Source: EurekAlert)
Scientists identified nickel iodide (NiI2) as a promising material for ultra-fast memory due to its exceptionally strong magnetoelectric coupling, a property where electric fields can influence magnetism and vice versa. This discovery could lead to significantly faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient memory devices. Beyond memory, NiI2 has potential applications in quantum computing and chemical sensors.

Scientists from The University of Texas at Austin and the Max Planck Institute believe they've found a key ingredient for super-fast and tiny memory devices: nickel iodide (NiI2).

Normal materials can be magnetic or electric. Multiferroics basically offer the best of both worlds — they have both magnetic and electric properties. This makes them ideal for creating smaller and faster electronics.

The coolest feature of multiferroics is something called "magnetoelectric coupling”. In these materials, an electric field can change magnetism, and vice versa. NiI2 has the strongest magnetoelectric coupling ever discovered. This is precisely why NiI2 could be instrumental in the development of super-fast memory devices. Forget bulky memory sticks, NiI2 could help create much smaller and lighter memory. Moreover, these new memory devices will likely use less energy, making them more eco-friendly. 

The researchers used super-quick laser blasts to “excite” the NiI2 material and then observed how its magnetism and electricity changed — all this in the femtosecond range (a millionth of a billionth of a second). They also did complex calculations to understand why NiI2 has such a strong coupling effect.

NiI2 may turn out to be a game changer in other avenues as well. It could be used to create tiny connections within quantum computers. It might even be helpful in building better chemical sensors for things like quality control and drug safety.

Researchers are trying to find more materials with similar properties to NiI2. Additionally, scientists are exploring ways to further enhance (and utilize) NiI2's already impressive capabilities. They are also trying to explore the ferroelectric properties of hafnium to design memory that'll be better and cheaper than NAND. 

The corkscrew-shaped features are called 'chiral helical magnetoelectric oscillations'. (Source: EurekAlert)
The corkscrew-shaped features are called 'chiral helical magnetoelectric oscillations'. (Source: EurekAlert)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 07 > Nickel iodide could be the key to ultra-fast, smaller memory devices in the future, research states
Anubhav Sharma, 2024-07-18 (Update: 2024-07-18)