Imagine a future where computers can think and make choices like humans do, but much faster and more efficiently than today’s computers.
Researchers at the University of Wyoming have developed a new way to manage small magnetic states in very thin, two-dimensional van der Waals magnets. This method is similar to turning a light on and off with a switch.
“Our discovery could lead to advanced memory devices that store more data and consume less power or enable the development of entirely new types of computers that can quickly solve problems that are currently intractable,” says Jifa Tian an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Wyoming and the temporary head of UW’s Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering.
Tian is corresponding author of a paper titled “Tunneling current-controlled spin states in few-layer van der Waals magnets,” published in Nature Communications.
Van der Waals materials consist of two-dimensional layers that are tightly bonded, with weaker van der Waals forces holding them together in the third dimension.
Graphite, a common van der Waals material, is widely used in industries for making electrodes, lubricants, fibers, heat exchangers, and batteries. The weak forces between the layers let scientists use Scotch tape to separate these layers into atomic thicknesses.
The team created a device called a magnetic tunnel junction. It consists of chromium triiodide, a two-dimensional magnet that’s only a few atoms thick, placed between two graphene layers.
By applying a small electric current known as a tunneling current through this setup, they can control the orientation of the magnet’s domains, which are about 100 nanometers large, within the chromium triiodide layers, according to Tian.
Specifically, “this tunneling current not only can control the switching direction between two stable spin states, but also induces and manipulates switching between metastable spin states, called stochastic switching,” says ZhuangEn Fu, a graduate student from Tian’s research lab who is now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland.
“This breakthrough is not just intriguing; it’s highly practical. It consumes three orders of magnitude smaller energy than traditional methods, akin to swapping an old lightbulb for an LED, marking it a potential game-changer for future technology,” Tian says. “Our research could lead to the development of novel computing devices that are faster, smaller and more energy-efficient and powerful than ever before. Our research marks a significant advancement in magnetism at the 2D limit and sets the stage for new, powerful computing platforms, such as probabilistic computers.”
Conventional computers store information using bits as 0s and 1s, which form the basis of all traditional computing. Quantum computers, on the other hand, use quantum bits that can hold the value of “0” and “1” simultaneously, greatly enhancing their computing power.
“In our work, we’ve developed what you might think of as a probabilistic bit, which can switch between ‘0’ and ‘1’ (two spin states) based on the tunneling current controlled probabilities,” Tian says. “These bits are based on the unique properties of ultrathin 2D magnets and can be linked together in a way that is similar to neurons in the brain to form a new kind of computer, known as a probabilistic computer.”
“What makes these new computers potentially revolutionary is their ability to handle tasks that are incredibly challenging for traditional and even quantum computers, such as certain types of complex machine learning tasks and data processing problems,” Tian continues. “They are naturally tolerant to errors, simple in design and take up less space, which could lead to more efficient and powerful computing technologies.”
Hua Chen, an associate professor of physics at Colorado State University, and Allan MacDonald, a professor of physics at the University of Texas-Austin, worked together to create a theoretical model. This model explains how tunneling currents affect spin states in 2D magnetic tunnel junctions.
Additional contributors came from Penn State University, Northeastern University, and the National Institute for Materials Science in Namiki, Tsukuba, Japan.
What we think?
I think this new technology from the University of Wyoming is really cool. It uses tiny magnets in a new way that saves a lot of energy. This could change how future computers work, making them faster and smarter.
They’re even creating a type of computer that can make decisions more like how our brains do. It’s exciting to think about all the new things these computers could do!
