Ultra-thin magnets may be the solution to creating faster, more energy-efficient electronics, quantum computers, and advanced communication systems. Still, the immediate challenge is how to get them to work at room temperature.
Unlike bulky traditional magnets, which can’t be easily miniaturized for electronics, ultra-thin (2D) magnets that are only a few atoms thick could enable smaller, more powerful devices, but right now they only work at extremely cold temperatures.
A team of international researchers led by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) has tackled this problem by combining ultra-thin magnets with topological insulators to improve the strength of the magnetic ordering and enable operation at higher temperatures, a critical step toward making tiny magnets practical for real-world technologies.
Their study, “Enhanced ferromagnetism in monolayer Cr2Te3 via topological insulator coupling,” was recently published in Reports on Progress in Physics. Led by Hang Chi, an assistant professor of physics at uOttawa’s faculty of science and Canada research chair in quantum electronic devices and circuits, the study demonstrated a new way to strengthen magnetism in materials just a few atoms thick. The work involved researchers from universities around the world.
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It was supported in part by the U.S. Army Research Office (ARO), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Canada Research Chairs Program.
Ultra-Thin Magnet
Prof. Hang Chi
From spintronics to room-temperature operation
In an interview with EE Times, Chi said the research originated from the field of spintronics, which has already produced magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) technology. An MTJ is a nanoscale device consisting of two ferromagnetic layers separated by a thin insulating barrier, enabling quantum tunneling of electrons and exhibiting tunnel magnetoresistance, and providing the basis structure of Magnetoresistive Random-Access Memory (MRAM).
The researchers improved the Curie temperature of ultra-thin magnets by enhancing interfacial exchange coupling, enabling stronger room-temperature magnetism, which is critical for future electronics, quantum computers, and advanced communication technologies. “We can essentially affect its magnetic ordering, and to make it more useful,” Chi said. “We can switch up and down, or back and forth.”
Chi’s team combined these ultra-thin magnets with a topological insulator, which allows electrons to flow smoothly along its surface. The ultra-thin magnet alone worked at around 100 kelvins, but when combined with the topological insulator, its strength further improved by 20%, functioning at higher temperatures, a discovery that opens the door for engineering stronger, more stable nanoscale magnets.
Topological insulator surface mediated ferromagnetism
He said the changes to the magnets’ Curie temperature through interfacial coupling allow for strong magnetism near room temperature, which is vital for advanced electronics with atomic layer materials, regardless of layer thickness.
The next step for the research is to test different material combinations to push these magnets toward room-temperature operation.
A step toward greener data centers
Chi said the goal isn’t necessarily to use the technology for smaller, mobile electronics devices but rather to contribute to reducing energy costs as part of a broader system in a data center environment to sustain the growth of artificial intelligence (AI).
Data centers are increasingly running hotter as AI workloads dramatically increase, putting pressure on cooling technologies to dissipate heat, which is why topical insulators are seen as critical to getting ultra-thin magnets to work at room temperature.
“They are not yet at a commercial ready stage, so that’s why we want to understand the interface better and how to make them scalable and compatible with current CMOS technology,” Chi said. “It’s very hard to fundamentally disrupt the existing CMOS technology because it is so mature and powerful.”