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The new multiferroic material based on bismuth ferrite combines chemical alteration and structural deformation to operate at room temperature, with 10 times greater magnetization and magnetoelectric coupling up to 100 times superior to previous versions.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a multiferroic material capable of improving the interaction between electricity and magnetism by up to 100 times, an advance that could contribute to more energy-efficient computers. The new version of the material operates at room temperature and also achieves 10 times greater magnetization.
The advance is based on a modification of bismuth ferrite, a material already studied for its electrical and magnetic properties. The team combined the addition of barium titanate with structural deformation induced during the growth of the material in thin film form.
Multiferroic material combines electricity and magnetism
The multiferroic material combines ferroelectric and magnetic properties in a single structure. This allows an electric field to control magnetism, or magnetism to interfere with electrical behavior, a phenomenon known as magnetoelectricity.
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In practice, this connection could pave the way for memories and processors that manipulate information without relying on large electrical currents. The search for this type of solution has gained importance given the growth of energy consumption linked to computing.
Current computing primarily functions through the movement of electrons in silicon circuits. This model has been effective for decades but is beginning to face limits in energy consumption, especially with artificial intelligence, data centers, and cloud storage.
Computing could consume up to 30% of global electricity
The estimate cited in the material indicates that, in less than a decade, computing could consume between 25% and 30% of all electricity generated worldwide. This scenario increases the pressure for technologies capable of processing and storing data with lower energy expenditure.
Multiferroic materials enter this context by leveraging electron spin, a property linked to magnetism. This makes it possible to develop electronic devices that do not depend solely on the traditional flow of electrons to function.
The historical obstacle was the lack of a material that was strongly magnetic and ferroelectric at the same time, in addition to functioning at room temperature. Bismuth ferrite was one of the most promising candidates, but it exhibited magnetism considered weak.
Barium titanate changes material behavior
The innovation occurred with the addition of barium titanate, a non-magnetic material, to bismuth ferrite. The result was a more magnetic behavior, an effect considered unexpected within the conventional logic of combining properties.
Structural deformation in thin films also played a central role in the result. The controlled growth process with specific stresses allowed for the creation of internal interactions capable of generating new behavior in the multiferroic material.
This type of atomic-scale engineering is linked to an area of advanced materials that seeks hybrid functionalities. Laboratories in the United States, Europe, and Asia are exploring similar avenues, while low-energy magnetic memories and neuromorphic computing try to leverage similar principles.
Applications target chips, memories, and smaller devices
The multiferroic material can be applied in new generations of low-power non-volatile memories. It can also contribute to hybrid computing systems, combining logic and storage in more efficient structures.
Another possibility involves smaller, more efficient electronics with less heat generation. This point is relevant in environments where space and thermal dissipation are critical factors for device operation.
Technology can also reach Internet of Things devices with extended energy autonomy. In the medium term, multiferroic material could help make digital growth more compatible with the energy limits faced by computing.
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