A team led by University of Michigan researchers has developed a material that's at least twice as "magnetostrictive" and far less costly than other materials in its class. In addition to computing, it could also lead to better magnetic sensors for medical and security devices. Magnetostriction, which causes the buzz of fluorescent lights and electrical transformers, occurs when a material's shape and magnetic field are linked—that is, a change in shape causes a change in magnetic field. The property could be key to a new generation of computing devices called magnetoelectrics.
Made of a combination of iron and gallium, researchers used a process called low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy to essentially freeze atoms in place, preventing them from forming an ordered structure as more gallium was added to create the material. This way, researchers were able to double the amount of gallium in the material, netting a 10x increase in magnetostriction compared to unmodified iron-gallium alloys. The material is detailed in the study published in the journal Nature Communications.
‘"Low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy is an extremely useful technique—it's a little bit like spray painting with individual atoms," said John Heron, a professor at the University of Michigan. "And 'spray painting' the material onto a surface that deforms slightly when a voltage is applied also made it easy to test its magnetostrictive properties."’
Magnetoelectric chips could make everything from massive data centers to cell phones far more energy efficient, slashing the electricity requirements of the world's computing infrastructure. While a device that uses the material is likely decades away, Heron's lab has filed for patent protection through the U-M Office of Technology Transfer.
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