Encoding data on electron spin could double memory capacity

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Encoding data on electron spin could double memory capacity

Currently, information is stored in a “computer” with “binary”… 1s and 0s tastefully arranged to give the illusion of data. Electrons by their very nature are also binary, either spinning one way or the other. Electrons are also really, really, really tiny, and using their spin to encode information can double memory usage and conserve power.

Based at Ohio State University, the scientists created a mix of organic magnets and ferromagnets. It didn’t look like much (just a thin dark blue strip), but they managed to encode and retrieve data by controlling the spins of electrons on the strip.

Besides doubling the capacity of storage devices, the new method of encoding data would save energy. As anyone who owns a PlayStation can tell you, moving electrons around on a circuit board generates heat. Flipping an electron’s spin, however, generates practically none at all.

Via