From smartphones to data centers, modern electronics rely on billions of tiny switches that consume electricity every time they turn on or off. As global demand for computing continues to grow, so does the energy required to power it. Scientists are therefore searching for alternatives that can perform the same tasks while using far less energy.
One promising approach uses clusters of tiny magnets, each thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand. A new study led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, with contributions from the DOE's Los Alamos National Laboratory and Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile, has uncovered a geometric rule that determines whether clusters of nanomagnets behave predictably or probabilistically as they relax toward a stable state. The finding challenges standard modeling assumptions and opens new possibilities for ultralow-energy computing.
Nanomagnetic devices have already demonstrated the potential to operate using extremely small amounts of energy—possibly millions of times less than conventional electronic components. If such systems can be made reliable and scalable, they could help reduce the growing energy demands of computing infrastructure worldwide.
The new research offers a practical step toward that goal.
"We've shown that geometry alone can determine how energy moves through these magnetic systems," Arava said, "and that insight gives us a new way to design computing devices."
Source: Phys.org
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