Home > Press > Smart multi-layered magnetic material acts as an electric switch: New study reveals characteristic of islands of magnetic metals between vacuum gaps, displaying tunnelling electric current
 |
Abstract:
The nanometric-size islands of magnetic metal sporadically spread between vacuum gaps display unique conductive properties under a magnetic field. In a recent study published in EPJ Plus, Anatoliy Chornous from Sumy State University in Ukraine and colleagues found that the vacuum gaps impede the direct magnetic alignment between the adjacent islands -- which depends on the external magnetic field -- while allowing electron tunneling between them. Such externally controlled conducting behaviour opens the door for applications in electronics with magnetic field sensors -- which are used to read data on hard disk drives -- biosensors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), as well as in spintronics with magnetic devices used to increase memory density.
Smart multi-layered magnetic material acts as an electric switch: New study reveals characteristic of islands of magnetic metals between vacuum gaps, displaying tunnelling electric current
Heidelberg, Germany | Posted on March 1st, 2017At the quantum scale, materials characterised by thin-film structures composed of alternating magnetic and non-magnetic layers behave in a way that produces what is referred to as the Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) effect. This discovery garnered Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics. In this study, the authors studied cobalt islands of between 5 nanometers (nm) and 25 nm, as well as iron islands of between 10 nm and 30 nm.
They found that the maximum values of the electric conductivity under an external magnetic field are obtained when the islands have a width of between 3 nm and 5 nm, with vacuum barriers of between 1 nm and 3 nm between them. However, they also observed that the tunnelling of electrons between the islands depends on the relative orientation of the direction of magnetisation in the adjacent islands and on the external magnetic field.
In addition, they determined that the electric conductivity is at a maximum when the magnetic moments in the adjacent granules are oriented in parallel, which leads to the tunnel magnetoresistance effect (TMR). The value of the tunneling magnetoresistance essentially depends on the interface properties of the insulator material between those islands.
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Sabine Lehr
49-622-148-78336
Copyright © Springer
If you have a comment, please Contact us.Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Bookmark:
| Related Links |
| Related News Press |
Magnetism/Magnons
Metasurfaces smooth light to boost magnetic sensing precision January 30th, 2026
News and information
Decoding hydrogen‑bond network of electrolyte for cryogenic durable aqueous zinc‑ion batteries January 30th, 2026
COF scaffold membrane with gate‑lane nanostructure for efficient Li+/Mg2+ separation January 30th, 2026
Hardware
The present and future of computing get a boost from new research July 21st, 2023
A Carbon Nanotube Microprocessor Mature Enough to Say Hello: Three new breakthroughs make commercial nanotube processors possible March 2nd, 2020
Powering the future: Smallest all-digital circuit opens doors to 5 nm next-gen semiconductor February 11th, 2020
Possible Futures
Decoding hydrogen‑bond network of electrolyte for cryogenic durable aqueous zinc‑ion batteries January 30th, 2026
COF scaffold membrane with gate‑lane nanostructure for efficient Li+/Mg2+ separation January 30th, 2026
MEMS
Spintronics
Quantum materials: Electron spin measured for the first time June 9th, 2023
Chip Technology
Metasurfaces smooth light to boost magnetic sensing precision January 30th, 2026
Beyond silicon: Electronics at the scale of a single molecule January 30th, 2026
Lab to industry: InSe wafer-scale breakthrough for future electronics August 8th, 2025
Memory Technology
Researchers tackle the memory bottleneck stalling quantum computing October 3rd, 2025
First real-time observation of two-dimensional melting process: Researchers at Mainz University unveil new insights into magnetic vortex structures August 8th, 2025
Utilizing palladium for addressing contact issues of buried oxide thin film transistors April 5th, 2024
Sensors
Tiny nanosheets, big leap: A new sensor detects ethanol at ultra-low levels January 30th, 2026
From sensors to smart systems: the rise of AI-driven photonic noses January 30th, 2026
Sensors innovations for smart lithium-based batteries: advancements, opportunities, and potential challenges August 8th, 2025
Nanoelectronics
Lab to industry: InSe wafer-scale breakthrough for future electronics August 8th, 2025
Interdisciplinary: Rice team tackles the future of semiconductors Multiferroics could be the key to ultralow-energy computing October 6th, 2023
Key element for a scalable quantum computer: Physicists from Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen University demonstrate electron transport on a quantum chip September 23rd, 2022
Reduced power consumption in semiconductor devices September 23rd, 2022
Discoveries
From sensors to smart systems: the rise of AI-driven photonic noses January 30th, 2026
Decoding hydrogen‑bond network of electrolyte for cryogenic durable aqueous zinc‑ion batteries January 30th, 2026
COF scaffold membrane with gate‑lane nanostructure for efficient Li+/Mg2+ separation January 30th, 2026
Announcements
Decoding hydrogen‑bond network of electrolyte for cryogenic durable aqueous zinc‑ion batteries January 30th, 2026
COF scaffold membrane with gate‑lane nanostructure for efficient Li+/Mg2+ separation January 30th, 2026
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Metasurfaces smooth light to boost magnetic sensing precision January 30th, 2026
COF scaffold membrane with gate‑lane nanostructure for efficient Li+/Mg2+ separation January 30th, 2026
 |
||
 |
||
| The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
 |
||
|
|
||
| Premium Products | ||
 |
||
|
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
 |
||
|
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
|
|
||