Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology have succeeded in discovering the magnet’s inner capabilities using specialized X-ray lasers that serve as rapid source of light. This discovery will contribute to smarter and faster computers.
The research team at Boulder examined the property of magnetism in the atoms of iron and nickel with the help of a light source that generates X-ray pulses within 1 quadrillionth of a second. One quadrillionth of a second is a million times quicker than one millionth of a second. The findings revealed that each metal showed different properties. It was published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this week.
Researcher Tom Silva at NIST says that according to technology experts, the computer disk drives of future will use optically-assisted magnetic recording for increased drive capacities.
However, this research will demonstrate how optical energy impacts the magnetic system and its optimization for highest drive performance.
Ultrafast demagnetization enabled the researchers at CU and NIST to comprehend the rapid movement of different kinds of spins in metal on different time scales. Previous assumption states that the exchange interaction makes all the individual spins to remain in the same direction.
This experiment utilized a laser technology called ‘high harmonic generation,’ which is capable of producing laser-like beams of X-rays that extend across the electromagnetic spectrum. However, in the spectral region, a higher concentration of interaction of nickel and iron with X-rays is noted.
Source: http://www.colorado.edu/