Soon, holograms to become data storage devices

Researchers have demonstrated a new type of holographic memory device that could provide unprecedented data storage capacity and data processing capabilities in electronic devices.

Experimental results obtained by University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering and Russian Academy of Science show that it is feasible to apply holographic techniques developed in optics to magnetic structures to create a magnonic holographic memory device.

Alexander Khitun, the lead researcher, who is a research professor at UC Riverside, has been working for more than nine years to develop logic device exploiting spin waves. Most of his initial research was focused on the development of spin wave-based logic circuits similar to the ones currently used in the computers.

A critical moment occurred last year when he decided the device didn't need to replace the computer's electronic circuits.

Instead, the device would complement the circuits, or help them accomplish certain tasks, such as image recognition, speech recognition and data processing.

The experiments outlined in the paper were conducted using a 2-bit magnonic holographic memory prototype device. A pair of magnets, which represent the memory elements, were aligned in different positions on the magnetic waveguides.

Spin waves propagating through the waveguides are affected by the magnetic field produced by the magnets. When spin waves interference was applied in the experiments, a clear picture was produced and the researchers could recognize the magnetic states of the magnets. All experiments were done at room temperature.

The paper has been submitted for publication in the journal Applied Physics Letters.