• About
  • Top Stories
  • Topics

    Green Energy News

    Solar News
    Hydrogen News
    Nuclear News
    Wind News
    Hydropower News

    Transportation News

    Electric Vehicle (EV) News
    Fuel Cell News
    Aviation News
    Public Transit News
    Commercial / Shipping News

    Sustainable Agriculture News

    Biomass Energy News
    Biofuel News
    Agtech News

    Utility News

    Smart Meter News
    Energy Storage News
    Demand Response News

    Environment News

    Recycling News
    Water News
    Pollution News

    Smart Cities News

    Energy Efficiency News
    Internet of Things (IoT) News

    Climate News

    Decarbonization News
    Climate Tech News

    Green Tech Innovation News

    Robotics News
    Nanotech News
    Batteries

  • Contact
No Results
View all Results
  • About
  • Top Stories
  • Topics

    Green Energy News

    Solar News
    Hydrogen News
    Nuclear News
    Wind News
    Hydropower News

    Transportation News

    Electric Vehicle (EV) News
    Fuel Cell News
    Aviation News
    Public Transit News
    Commercial / Shipping News

    Sustainable Agriculture News

    Biomass Energy News
    Biofuel News
    Agtech News

    Utility News

    Smart Meter News
    Energy Storage News
    Demand Response News

    Environment News

    Recycling News
    Water News
    Pollution News

    Smart Cities News

    Energy Efficiency News
    Internet of Things (IoT) News

    Climate News

    Decarbonization News
    Climate Tech News

    Green Tech Innovation News

    Robotics News
    Nanotech News
    Batteries

  • Contact
No Results
View all Results
Home Green Tech Innovation News

What’s the buzz? Magnetic properties for more energy-efficient computer chips

Katie Pyzyk by Katie Pyzyk
May 20, 2021
Fluorescent lamp

Credit: Daria Sannikova / Creative Commons

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Magnetostriction is a property of magnetic materials that causes fluorescent lights and electrical transformers to buzz. This property causes the materials to change shape or dimensions as the magnetic field changes. 

Magnetostriction also plays a big part in a new material that could lead to more energy-efficient computing. The research team that developed the material is led by the University of Michigan, and researchers from the University of Wisconsin and Purdue University also are participating.

The new material is twice as magnetostrictive and much cheaper than similar materials. It could contribute to magnetostrictive chips, which would cut the energy consumption of a wide range of electronics from cell phones to huge data centers.

Making the material

Magnetoelectric devices store data by using magnetic fields. Tiny pulses of electricity cause them to change the magnetic field back and forth between positive and negative charges. They don’t require a constant stream of electricity like current computer chips, so they use a fraction of the energy.

“A key to making magnetoelectric devices work is finding materials whose electrical and magnetic properties are linked.” University of Michigan materials science and engineering professor John Heron said in a news release.

“And more magnetostriction means that a chip can do the same job with less energy.” 

The team made devices that are just several microns in size, but that’s large by computing standards. The researchers are working with Intel to figure out how to get the magnetoelectric chips to a smaller, more useful size.

Reworking the rare components

Most magnetoelectric materials typically are made from rare-earth elements. These elements can be environmentally taxing to mine. They are also expensive, making it impractical to use current magnetoelectric materials for computing devices on a widespread scale.

The new material is made from the elements iron and gallium. The research team used a process that essentially freezes the atoms in place to alter the amount of gallium in the structure. They doubled the amount of gallium, which increased the magnetostriction tenfold.

“[This process] is an extremely useful technique — it’s a little bit like spray painting with individual atoms,” Heron said. “And ‘spray painting’ the material onto a surface that deforms slightly when a voltage is applied also made it easy to test its magnetostrictive properties.” 

Next steps

The research lab has filed for patent protection for this new magnetostrictive material. They acknowledge it will likely be decades before a device that uses this material becomes mainstream.

Centered is your cleantech news source for the Midwest

Subscribe to receive free weekday news updates



    Previous Post

    Feeling salty? Engineers develop most energy-efficient desalination process ever

    Next Post

    Michigan startup maps pollution disparities for healthier communities

    Related News

    Madison-based C-Motive Technologies touts its highly efficient electrostatic motor as "the most sustainable motor ever developed."

    Feeling clingy: Wisconsin startup reinvents electric motors with static cling

    by Katie Pyzyk
    June 9, 2022
    0

    Madison-based C-Motive Technologies touts its highly efficient electrostatic motor as "the most sustainable motor ever developed."

    The tiny walking robot stands on the edge of a coin. Credit: Northwestern University

    Engineers develop tiny robot that moves without electricity

    by Katie Pyzyk
    May 26, 2022
    0

    Northwestern University engineers have created what they’re calling the smallest-ever, remote-controlled walking robot.

    Next Post
    Michigan startup maps pollution disparities for healthier communities

    Michigan startup maps pollution disparities for healthier communities

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Centered is your cleantech news source for the Midwest

    Subscribe to receive free weekday news updates



      Trending News

      Down to the wire: Midwest entrepreneur’s invention helps power company lineworkers

      Down to the wire: Midwest entrepreneur’s invention helps power company lineworkers

      June 5, 2020

      Paving the way for carbon-eating bacteria technology

      May 28, 2020
      A bended piece of what looks like glass glows green, showing LED properties

      Inkjet-printed LEDs pave way for bendable digital displays

      October 26, 2021

      Popular Topics

      • Green Tech Innovation News
      • Transportation News
      • Green Energy News
      • Electric Vehicle (EV) News
      • Environment News
      • Water News
      • Batteries
      • Sustainable Agriculture News
      • Solar News
      • Energy Efficiency
      • Climate News
      • Smart Cities News
      • Agtech News
      • Decarbonization News
      • Recycling News
      • Utility News
      • Hydrogen News
      • Wind News
      • Biofuel News
      • Nanotech News
      • Electrical Grid News
      • Aviation News
      • Biomass Energy News
      • Robotics News
      • Energy Storage News
      • Pollution News
      • Nuclear News
      • Commercial / Shipping News
      • Climate Tech News
      • Hydropower News
      • Fuel Cell News
      • Smart Meter News
      • Internet of Things (IoT) News
      Centered



      © 2022 Centered. All Rights Reserved.

      Centered is a publication of the Energy News Network, in partnership with the Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation.

      • Privacy
      • Terms of Use
      No Results
      View all Results
      • About
      • Top Stories
      • Topics
        • Green Energy News
        • Transportation News
        • Sustainable Agriculture News
        • Electrical Grid News
        • Environment News
        • Smart Cities News
        • Climate News
        • Green Tech Innovation News
      • Contact

      Centered. All Rights Reserved.

      Centered is your cleantech news source for the Midwest

      Subscribe to receive a free daily roundup of underreported technology stories from around the region.



        Contact Us