Tiny magnetic vortices could help computers work more like your brain

Scientists have filmed tiny magnetic vortices called skyrmions melting out of an organized lattice for the first time, revealing new ways to manipulate these unusual structures. The breakthrough could help make brain-like computers a reality, potentially enabling dramatically smaller and more energy-efficient technology. Tiny magnetic vortices could help computers work more like your brain.

Com Tiny magnetic structures called skyrmions could help pave the way for a new generation of computers that process information more like the human brain while using far less electricity. Although most people have never heard of skyrmions, these microscopic magnetic vortices may eventually play an important role in how computers store and process data. A study published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology provides new insights into how skyrmions behave and how scientists can control them.

The findings could help researchers develop smaller, more efficient computing systems and advance emerging quantum technologies. Most of the research was conducted at the Institute of Physics at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, with contributions from a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). "Skyrmions are small, magnetic vortices that can store information in a completely new way," explained Asle Sudbø, who leads NTNU’s Centre for Quantum Spintronics (QuSpin).