Physicists in the United States have identified unique magnetic properties in uranium oxytelluride (UOTe), a material known to researchers since the 1960s. The discovery was made using high-resolution microscopy, which revealed a specific chiral atomic structure that had previously gone unrecognized.
The material exhibits both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic characteristics simultaneously. While ferromagnets are currently standard for high-capacity data storage in hard drives, antiferromagnetic materials are known for their resistance to external magnetic fields and potential for higher operational speeds.
The research was conducted by teams led by Dr. Mengke Liu from the University of Texas at Dallas and Dr. Suyang Xu from Harvard University. The scientists confirmed the existence of the atomic superlattice structure through collaborative experiments and comparative analysis.
According to the researchers, this combination of magnetic properties could enable the development of next-generation computer memory that is both faster and more reliable than existing technologies. Calculations suggest that hundreds of related compounds may possess similar superlattice structures.
