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

[MatthewBaker]

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

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

[NancyLebovitz]

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

[Normal_Anomaly]

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.

[[deleted]]

Hard drives are obsolete.

[Thomas]

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.

[shminux]

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

Can you give an example?

[Thomas]

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.

[shminux]

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.

[Thomas]

Or, if you prefer this one—Mechanism of surface magnetization by friction of ferromagnetic materials

[shminux]

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

[Thomas]

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