[Link] Physcists say they can encode magnetic data using heat pulses

0 Post author: MatthewBaker 08 February 2012 08:45AM

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-physicists-magnetic-breakthrough.html

Anyone have a strong opinion on this one? thanks :)

Comments (10)

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 08 February 2012 06:12:16PM 1 point [-]

Why is this important? More efficiency by scavenging waste heat?

Comment author: Normal_Anomaly 09 February 2012 10:19:44PM 0 points [-]

I know approximately nothing about this, but the article claims that the physicists claim that it will allow for faster transfer of information to hard drives. I don't know what parts of the computer-using experience that would speed up though.

Comment author: [deleted] 11 February 2012 03:45:33PM 0 points [-]

Hard drives are obsolete.

Comment author: Thomas 08 February 2012 08:59:47AM *  1 point [-]

From your link:

Until now it has been believed that in order to record one bit of information – by inverting the poles of a magnet – there was a need to apply an external magnetic field. The stronger the applied field, the faster the recording of a magnetic bit of information.

Technically that is not true. A rotation of a magnet applying some nonmagnetic force was always known as possible and an everyday matter. Still, this is a very good news.

Comment author: shminux 08 February 2012 08:27:12PM 0 points [-]

A rotation of a magnet applying some nonmagnetic force was always known

Can you give an example?

Comment author: Thomas 08 February 2012 08:54:25PM -1 points [-]

A rotating magnet inside an electric generator, for example. It is not a magnetic force which changes the direction of the magnet many times every second.

Comment author: shminux 09 February 2012 03:47:15PM -1 points [-]

That's silly, you are not changing its magnetization, only position. And you are certainly not flipping a single domain inside a magnet in this way.

Comment author: Thomas 09 February 2012 09:43:05PM 2 points [-]
Comment author: shminux 10 February 2012 03:28:59AM 1 point [-]

That one is indeed interesting, as the magnetic domains are flipped/transferred, albeit not in a controlled way.

Comment author: Thomas 09 February 2012 08:42:57PM 0 points [-]

Then tear apart a magnet! You'll get two magnets. Would you say, that there is no re-magnetization?