SCIENTISTS AT AMBER (Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research) have discovered a new magnetic material which they say could lead to superfast technology and energy efficient data storage.

The research group, which is based in Trinity College Dublin and was led by AMBER’s principal investigator Professor Michael Coey, created a new world-first alloy called MRG, which consists of manganese, ruthenium and gallium.

The alloy is magnetic, and internally, it has the same strength as the strongest magnets available today.

It’s created by using established industry-standard processes for making the electronic circuits on silicon chips, meaning its creation can be adopted by computer and electronics companies relatively easily.

It could be used for limitless data storage, resulting in superfast memory in personal computer devices, and could eliminate the potential of external magnetic forces to ‘wipe’ computer data.

In a statement, Professor Michael Coey said that the discovery could have significant implications on the future development of electronics, considering how much of a role magnets play in technology.

Given its unique insensitivity to magnetic fields, and the tenacity of its internal magnetic properties, MRG could now revolutionise how data is stored, which could have major implications for the future development of electronics, information technology and a host of other applications.

Back in April, the same organisation achieved a breakthrough in the production of graphene, a ‘wonder material’ that’s extremely difficult to produce. It discovered a way to produce the material, which could be used to provide the next generation of batteries, biomedical sensors, and water filtration, in industrial quantities.

AMBER is funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Science Foundation Ireland.

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