A New Magnetic Transistor Could Reduce Digital Energy Requirements By 5%

After years of research and development, a new technical approach could make it possible to reduce digital energy requirements by five percent. A new type of magnetic transistor plays the leading role.

Computers have come a long way in the past century. While memory sizes of several megabytes were still considered a future dream, we are already much further along today. This is because transistors and data superhighways can be accommodated in an ever-smaller area.

However, this development seems to be over soon. Because one-day technical components cannot be further reduced in size. Therefore, researchers are continuously optimising other properties of computer chips.

One of the theses that caught the attention of researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Buffalo is energy efficiency. Because more powerful computers have always required a non-negligible share of the energy available worldwide. A new type of magnetic transistor should help.

A New Magnetic Transistor Should Significantly Increase Energy Efficiency

The new transistor is expected to reduce global power requirements for electronic devices by around five percent. Magneto-electric transistors make it possible. But first to the basic principle: Small transistors control the flow of current to the end device and thus enable the writing, reading, and storage of information.

Silicon-based transistors consist of several terminals. Current flows from one airport to another, strength defining another terminal. Depending on the current flowing through the terminals, the computer interprets the result as 0 or 1.

With silicon-based transistors, a constant current flow is necessary for this process. But that would change with the magnetic-electrical process. The graph orbits on which the electrons move are coated with chromium oxide, giving them magnetic properties. The magnet then regulates the status.

The Alignment Of Atoms By Transistor Decides The Status

The magnet aligns the atoms on the Grafen orbit either to one side. Now the principle for reading is the same again. If the particle is rotated to one side, this is interpreted as 0. The other side again reflects the 1. The energy requirement also drops significantly.

Because changing the status does not require a continuous current but only a short pulse. In addition to the lower energy requirement, the new technology has other advantages. The number of transistors needed should drop by up to 75 percent.

As a result, end devices are likely to shrink or become even more powerful thanks to the newly gained space. Thanks to magneto-electronic transistors, the device also knows what was last worked on. Even if users shut down the machine or the power supply abruptly cuts off. However, this development seems to be over soon. Because one-day technical components cannot be further reduced in size. Therefore, researchers are continuously optimising other properties of computer chips.

But that would change with the magnetic-electrical process. The graph orbits on which the electrons move are coated with chromium oxide, giving them magnetic properties. The magnet then regulates the status. In addition to the lower energy requirement, the new technology has other advantages. The number of transistors needed should drop by up to 75 percent.