Communications of the ACM
T-Rays Could Push Computer Memory Into Overdrive By Factor of 1,000
Terahertz radiation (t-rays) could boost computer memory speeds by a factor of 1,000, according to computer scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT). The researchers say t-rays offer a new way to control magnetization in computer memory cells.
Every complete reset for a magnetic memory cell of a modern computer takes time, and it has been very difficult to reduce this cycle, the researchers say. The team proposed using electromagnetic pulses at terahertz frequencies in memory switching, instead of external magnetic fields, to achieve faster speeds. In order to determine whether they could be used to store magnetic bits of information, the team performed an experiment with thulium orthoferrite that achieved higher speeds, but required an external magnetic field to control the spins. However, the researchers say the t-rays were able to control spins without this external field, and at an incredibly much faster rate.
"We have demonstrated an entirely new way of controlling magnetization, which relies on short electromagnetic pulses at terahertz frequencies," says MIPT's Anatoly Zvezdin. "This is an important step towards terahertz electronics."
From Silicon Republic
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