The worldwide demand for digital data storage is increasing exponentially. IBM estimates that 2.5 quintillion of digital data bytes are produced every day on Earth. This is equivalent to 2.5 x 1018 bytes, or 2.5 Exabytes or 2.5 billion Gb produced every day. Unfortunately, keeping up with the demand has meant almost doubling the data storage density capacity of storage technologies every year for the past 50 years. This trend cannot continue indefinitely, as we reach fundamental physical limits in terms of size, thermal stability and quantum effects of nano-magnetic domains used for data storage. Equally the data read/write technology needs to be scaled down and physical limitations will prohibit this development. A solution to these issues is a paradigm shift in the technology from magnetic materials and sensors to multiferroic, which are a new class of emergent material with multifunctional properties. Some of Dr Vopson’s research at the University of Portsmouth has been revolving around the possible solutions to magnetic data storage based on multiferroic technologies.
In collaboration with scientist from Thailand, we published a new kind of magnetic recording read/write head.
In a different study we reported 2 novel protocols for magnetic data storage based on multiferroics. These are both designed to mitigate some of the current issues in the industry including thermal stability and increasing data density.
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This project contributes towards the following SDG(s):