Transformation of Ordinary Magnet into a Super Magnet by Japanese Researchers
Group of Japanese researchers at Japan Science and Technology Agency have transformed the ordinary fridge magnet into a very rare magnet featuring a high degree of durability. The researchers by simply substituting a few of iron atoms of the ordinary magnet with elements of scandium and magnesium, producing a new magnet that is multiferroic, that is its magnetization and electric polarization are linked, where each can be potentially controlled by means of electrical and magnetic fields. What is interesting about multiferroic material is that they allow magnetic data storage in absence of magnetic fields, resulting in reduced cost, power requirement and bulk.
One of the interesting features on the newly developed magnet is that its electronic spins are arranged in a helix form, making the handedness of the helix to be controllable, along with the material’s magnetic strength and its electric polarization. The other interesting feature of this new magnet is that material’s spin helix persists even above the room temperature, which is in contrast with many other known multiferroic materials requiring liquid nitrogen temperatures in order to form helical spin structures. One of the possible applications for this newly developed magnet is sensors.
