Exploring the physics of 3D magnetic nanowires and 3D artificial spin-ice lattices

磁性赛道内存是IBM在2008年发明的一项开创性的3D存储技术。内存有可能比硬盘驱动器更快，同时还提供更高数量级的存储密度。如今，在原型磁性赛道存储器中使用平面纳米线，由于写入数据时的功耗限制了其性能。最近的理论工作表明，使用圆柱形纳米线将允许更低的功耗。这样的纳米线很难使用传统的光刻技术制造，但可以使用3D处理技术来实现。Sam Ladak博士最近开创了一种新的制造方法来实现3D磁性纳米线，通过与苏黎世IBM的直接合作，我们已经证明了可以使用标准的磁性技术来测量这些纳米线。该项目将利用一种新的3D光刻系统和我们最近开发的技术来制造跑道几何形状的磁性纳米线。我们的目标是制造和表征圆柱形磁性纳米线系统，这些系统有可能在原型存储技术中产生阶梯变化。

Magnetic racetrack memory is a pioneering 3D storage technology that was invented by IBM in 2008. The memory has the potential to be faster than the hard disk drive, whilst also offering orders of magnitude higher storage density. Today, the use of planar nanowires in prototype magnetic racetrack memory is limiting its performance due to power consumption whilst writing data. Recent theoretical work has indicated that the use of cylindrical nanowires will allow much lower power consumption. Such wires are difficult to fabricate using conventional lithography but can be achieved using 3D processing techniques.Dr Sam Ladak has recently pioneered a novel fabrication method to realise 3D magnetic nanowires and by working directly with IBM, Zurich we have demonstrated that these nanowires can be measured using standard magnetic techniques. This project will utilise a new 3D lithography system and our recently developed technique to manufacture magnetic nanowires in the racetrack geometry. We will aim to manufacture and characterise cylindrical magnetic nanowires systems that have the potential to produce a step-change in prototype memory technologies.