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Fast-Switching Micromagnets

Posted by timothy on from the fwip-fwip-fwip dept.

apirkle writes "Why can't we use magnetic media as RAM? Flipping the north and south poles of the tiny magnets we call bits simply takes too long. A collaboration of researchers has recently demonstrated a much faster method for reversing magnetization, described in Physical Review Focus."

3 of 17 comments (clear)

  1. Dumping core... by orangesquid · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Actually, tiny ferrite cores used to be used as magnetic memory. It wasn't called "RAM" then, but "core"... it was pretty cool stuff, (mostly) nonvolatile if a system powered off, but when you read a bit you had to rewrite it. It was invented in the 50's I think, and the inventor licensed it to many computer companies and made a healthy profit.

    It seems those old sci-fi stories predicting computers of the future to have microscopic core memory (but still core memory) may very well come true ;)

    --
    --TheOrangeSquid Is it any wonder things seem so awry? We swim in a sea of confusion and don't have to think to survive
    1. Re:Dumping core... by Koos+Baster · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Yep, they did in the 50s, 60s and early seventies. I got one of these antique core memory modules at home. It features 2000 tiny magnetic cores (2-3mm), connected by a grid of copper wires, to provide a massive 400 words (4 bits + parity). It's definitely hand-crafted, probably by some poor kid in an Asian sweat shop.

      The module is 20 x 30 cm, weighs a lot and produces a lot of heat, and apparently is very slow. Not exactly what you would consider the future of fast memories. But I wonder what contemporary production techniques and future nanotech (and probably an expired patent) can do to revive this technology. I'm sure that as with any "novel" memory technique it will take a few decades before it will pay off, else why would we still use magnetic hard disks for fast mass storage and not optical (or opto-magnetic) stuff?

      --
      The human brain is a wonderful thing: It starts working the moment you are born, and never stops until you stand up to speak in public -- Sir George Jessel

    2. Re:Dumping core... by GigsVT · · Score: 3, Interesting

      http://www.howstuffworks.com/mram.htm

      Several companies are currently marketing FRAM as a rugged replacement for Flash.
      http://www.e-insite.net/electronicnews/ind ex.asp?l ayout=article&articleid=CA257740

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