New discovery paves the way for stamp-sized hard drives with 100x more storage

[smfadmin (OP)]

New discovery paves the way for stamp-sized hard drives with 100x more storage - The Brighter Side of News https://share.google/kthkdwfRBnrYkJvEG

New discovery paves the way for stamp-sized hard drives with 100x more storage

Jul 3, 2025 11:07 AM

A new magnetic molecule stores data up to 100K, breaking records and opening paths to next-gen, ultra-dense data storage systems.


small-hard-drives.jpg (43.71 kB . 1080x608 - viewed 2 times)

A tiny, next-gen chip no larger than a postage stamp could hold 100 times more data than today’s storage devices. (CREDIT: CC BY-SA 4.0)

Researchers have created a molecule that can store magnetic data at record-high temperatures, potentially reshaping how digital information is archived.

The molecule, based on the rare earth element dysprosium, can retain its magnetic memory up to 100 Kelvin, or about minus 173 degrees Celsius.

The findings, published in Nature, could pave the way for next-generation hardware about the size of a postage stamp that can store 100 times more digital data than current technologies.

Building Better Magnets With Atoms:

Magnetic memory in molecules has been a goal for years. While traditional hard drives use clusters of atoms to store bits of data, single-molecule magnets can work alone, promising higher storage density.

Until recently, these magnets only worked at very low temperatures. The best examples stopped working above 80 Kelvin. But a new molecule has pushed that limit to 100 Kelvin.


RSC_Chilton_20250620_ANU4027.jpg (73.24 kB . 1080x720 - viewed 3 times)

Professor Nicholas Chilton research focuses on the magnetic properties of molecules to understand electronic structure and physical properties. (CREDIT: Jamie Kidston/ANU).

The key lies in the design. Scientists from The University of Manchester and the Australian National University built a compound called 1-Dy, where dysprosium is bonded between two nitrogen atoms.

They added a flexible chemical group, an alkene, that pins the structure into a nearly straight line.

This alignment increases the magnetic strength of the molecule. The longer the structure stays straight, the more stable the magnetic memory becomes.

This straight line creates what physicists call strong "magnetic anisotropy." It means the molecule prefers to align in one direction, like a compass needle.

That alignment helps resist random movements that erase memory, especially as temperature increases. Calculations show the alkene limits unwanted side forces, keeping the molecule stable.

Testing and Simulating the New Magnet:

To make the molecule, researchers used a multistep process involving rare earth chemistry.

They created the dysprosium molecule and a similar one using yttrium, a non-magnetic element, as a control.

Nuclear magnetic resonance tests and X-ray scans confirmed the structure. Simulations helped predict the molecule’s behavior before it was tested.

Computational models used supercomputers in Australia to simulate the molecule’s spin behavior over time. These spin dynamics, governed by quantum mechanics, help explain how long magnetic memory can last. The calculations showed the new compound has an energy barrier of 1,843 cm–1, the highest yet recorded for a dysprosium-based single-molecule magnet.

The energy barrier controls how hard it is for the magnetic direction to flip. A higher barrier means better memory at higher temperatures. These tests matched well with predictions, proving the molecule's stability.

The article continues at the link at the top of this page ...