Single-Atom Bit Forms Smallest Memory in the World

[tamim_saif]

One atom equals one bit: According to this design principle, we would like to construct magnetic data memories in the future. Presently, a compound of several million atoms is needed to stabilize a magnetic bit in a way that hard disk data are secure for several years. However, researchers from KIT have just made a big step towards a single-atom bit: They fixed a single atom on a surface such that the magnetic spin remained stable for ten minutes.

The scanning tunneling microscope makes single holmium atoms on a platinum surface visible. (Credit: KIT/T. Miyamachi)


source: internet