“We have become addicted to data. The increasing demand for storage of that data in the cloud means that we need more and more data centres, and storing all that data takes a lot of energy. Nowadays data centres consume from five and seven per cent of all electrical energy generated worldwide, but in ten years it will be one-third,” Says Aleksei Kimel, professor Ultrafast spectroscopy of correlated materials at Radboud University.
“All important information is now stored on magnetic media. That is the cheapest and most reliable way – a good quality hard disk can store data securely for at least 25 years. But to meet the increasing demand in the future, data storage must become more energy-efficient and faster. I am working on that in my research.”
A million times more efficient
“A hard disk actually consists of many tiny magnets. To store data, you have to reverse the polarity of a magnet. With the north pole of the magnet up, it stores a 0, with the north pole down, it stores a 1. This polarity reversal is caused by an external magnetic field. The faster we make the magnet reverse polarity, the more energy the reversal costs, and the more heat is generated and eventually lost.”
“At Radboud University in 2006, we discovered that we can also reverse the polarity of magnets with short light pulses. This is at least fifty times faster than a current hard drive. Even better: it is also at least a million times more energy efficient! This discovery came as a huge surprise. I thought I knew a lot about magnetism, but the results of our experiment were unexpected. It was incredible to be so surprised.”
“Theoretically, it should be possible to reverse the polarity of magnets – and therefore store data – without using any energy at all. When I explain this to companies, they think I'm crazy. It is also difficult to imagine. In fundamental research you acquire knowledge that can lead to new technology in 20 to 50 years. This concerns truly ground-breaking technology that we can hardly imagine now, not an incremental upgrade to the next iPhone."
“The knowledge from our research is not immediately applicable in practice. But if we want to build more energy-efficient and faster computers and data centres in the future, we have to invest now in fundamental research. I think magnetism is magical. And before I retire I hope to experience the revolution in data storage and ‘green IT’ in general.”
Tip: Find the limits of your abilities
“Don't be too quick to tell students: ‘You can't do this yet, go back to a lower level.’ Instead, take them to the limits of their abilities, and maybe even beyond. With proper guidance and attention, everyone has the potential to do extraordinary things.”
Photo: Bruno /Germany via Pixabay