(Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie) Data storage in magnetic media is very energy consuming. Novel materials could reduce the energy needed to control magnetic memories thus contributing to a smaller carbon footprint of the IT sector. Now an international team led by HZB has observed at the HZB lightsource BESSY II a new phenomenon in iron nanograins: whereas normally the magnetic moments of the iron grains are disordered at room temperature, this can be changed by applying an electric field.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/hbfm-sb021419.php