Faster magnetic switch with lower energy consumption developed:
A recent collaborative study between the UAB, Georgetown University, HZDR Dresden, CNM's Madrid and Barcelona, University of Grenoble, and ICN2, and published in the journal Nature Communications has shown that it is possible to switch magnetism ON and OFF in metals containing nitrogen (that is, to generate or remove all magnetic features of this material) with voltage. One simple analogy would be that we are able to increase or completely remove the strength with which a magnet attracts to, for example, the door of a fridge, simply by connecting it to a battery and applying a certain voltage polarity. In this project, cobalt-nitride is shown to be non-magnetic on its own, but when nitrogen is removed with voltage, it forms a cobalt-rich structure which is magnetic (and vice versa). This process is shown to be repeatable and durable, suggesting that such a system is a promising means to write and store data in a cyclable manner. Interestingly, it is also shown to require less energy and it is faster than systems using alternative non-magnetic atoms, such as oxygen, elevating the possible energy savings.
Journal Reference:
Julius de Rojas, Alberto Quintana, Aitor Lopeandía, et al. Voltage-driven motion of nitrogen ions: a new paradigm for magneto-ionics [open], Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19758-x)
(Score: 2) by Mykl on Thursday November 19 2020, @09:13PM (3 children)
This is really not my area of expertise. Isn't this 'discovery' just electro-magnetism with a new material that performs better? The summary seems to suggest something more significant, but maybe the author was writing for the 'average' intelligence?
(Score: 2) by unauthorized on Thursday November 19 2020, @09:37PM (2 children)
Traditional electromagnets rely on running electricity through a coil to generate an electric field, turn off the field and they stop being magnetic. This article seems to suggest that the electric field is used to change the material's magnetic properties permanently, until you run an opposite polarity field through it to reverse the effect.
(Score: 2) by unauthorized on Thursday November 19 2020, @09:39PM
Proofreading is hard and stuff.
(Score: 2) by Mykl on Thursday November 19 2020, @11:26PM
Thanks - that does sound like something worth making a fuss about!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 19 2020, @11:08PM
pretty cool if i understand correctly 'cause normally when using electricity to emphasize magnetic attribute then current is needed. you dont get much magnetics if using voltage (excluding geometry, e.g. coils and parallel wires).
this here seems that a material is the magnet and reacts to applied voltage (not soon much current).
i am imagining a (permanent) fridge magnet with terminals and you touch the battery to it, it falls off and when you remove the battery it sticks again (or vice versa)?
what strength is possible and can it improve generators and motors? can we get overunity already? ^_^"