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MIT is reporting developments in skyrmion science (not quite ready for engineering yet). Initially they could only make them in random places, now they can position them precisely.
http://news.mit.edu/2017/fast-moving-magnetic-particles-new-form-data-storage-1002
Rather than reading and writing data one bit at a time by changing the orientation of magnetized particles on a surface, as today's magnetic disks do, the new system would make use of tiny disturbances in magnetic orientation, which have been dubbed "skyrmions." These virtual particles, which occur on a thin metallic film sandwiched against a film of different metal, can be manipulated and controlled using electric fields, and can store data for long periods without the need for further energy input.
In 2016, a team led by MIT associate professor of materials science and engineering Geoffrey Beach documented the existence of skyrmions, but the particles' locations on a surface were entirely random. Now, Beach has collaborated with others to demonstrate experimentally for the first time that they can create these particles at will in specific locations, which is the next key requirement for using them in a data storage system. An efficient system for reading that data will also be needed to create a commercializable system.
The new findings are reported this week in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, in a paper by Beach, MIT postdoc Felix Buettner, and graduate student Ivan Lemesh, and 10 others at MIT and in Germany.
The system focuses on the boundary region between atoms whose magnetic poles are pointing in one direction and those with poles pointing the other way. This boundary region can move back and forth within the magnetic material, Beach says. What he and his team found four years ago was that these boundary regions could be controlled by placing a second sheet of nonmagnetic heavy metal very close to the magnetic layer. The nonmagnetic layer can then influence the magnetic one, with electric fields in the nonmagnetic layer pushing around the magnetic domains in the magnetic layer. Skyrmions are little swirls of magnetic orientation within these layers, Beach adds.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday October 23 2017, @10:58AM (5 children)
TFS
TFA
Got it?
(I didn't. Not from TFS, not TFA)
Is it such a big effort to link to some more meaty places [wikipedia.org]?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday October 23 2017, @11:01AM
Also, previously on S/N [soylentnews.org] (not a year after launch)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 23 2017, @11:06AM
"Eddies in the space time continuum."
"Ah," nodded Arthur, "Is he. Is he." He pushed his hands into the pockets of his dressing gown and looked knowledgeably into the distance.
"What?" said Ford.
"Er, who," said Arthur, "is Eddy, then?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 23 2017, @12:53PM (2 children)
I was hoping these were particles found in skyr [wikipedia.org] that make it nutritious and delicious.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday October 23 2017, @01:06PM (1 child)
Those are skyrmuons, the thermophilus subspecies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 23 2017, @08:01PM
No, those are skyrmudgeons.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday October 23 2017, @11:10AM
I'll take one... 1 exabyte of storage in 2.5" form factor, please.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 23 2017, @11:45AM
Is it Magnetic Bubble Memory Time again? This time on an improved smaller scale.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 23 2017, @03:54PM
A new TES release from Bethesda!
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday October 23 2017, @04:32PM (5 children)
Would you like a side of pronounciation with that?
How about even an informally defined pronounciation guideSkyrmion.
The first three letters throw me for a loop.
But I'm guessing it is maybe like: SCRIM-ee-on ?
I saw a snike. Eat head beeg blow oys and a huge tile.
Young people won't believe you if you say you used to get Netflix by US Postal Mail.
(Score: 2) by Absolutely.Geek on Monday October 23 2017, @07:22PM (4 children)
I read it as skur-mee-on
Don't trust the police or the government - Shihad: My mind's sedate.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday October 23 2017, @08:39PM
I hadn't thought of that one, but it could be.
Young people won't believe you if you say you used to get Netflix by US Postal Mail.
(Score: 2) by mr_mischief on Monday October 23 2017, @09:13PM (2 children)
As did I. I even accidentally mnemonized it as the virtual particles skirmishing, forming the swirling magnetic boundary.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday October 23 2017, @09:30PM (1 child)
My guess is that they were waiting for their sims to run, playing Skyrim.
Anyone else feels queasy at the idea of saving your data to "virtual particles"? It sounds all Sci-Fi, but not very safe...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 24 2017, @05:59AM
Well, "cloud storage" doesn't sound all that safe and solid either, but here we are.