Gold structures boost spin wave transfer to prevent overheating

Researchers from the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) have enhanced the commercial viability of spin wave harnessing technology. This development could present a next-generation technological solution to the issue of heat generation in electronic devices. The research findings were published in the journal Matter.

When devices such as smartphones and computers heat up, it is due to the movement of electrons within the device as they store and process data, causing some energy to convert into heat. With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, electronics are becoming smaller and more complex, intensifying the overheating problem.

One way to solve the problem of heat generation in electronic devices is by using ‘spin waves’ in information transmission technology. Spin waves are waves that can transmit information without the flow of electrons by utilising the spin characteristics of electrons in magnetic insulators. Research has shown that increasing the temperature imbalance of spin waves in a material — for example, due to the tendency of spin waves on one side of the material to become hotter and the other side to become colder — increases the information-carrying efficiency of spin waves. However, there is no technology that can independently control the temperature of spin waves.

The researchers from POSTECH have developed a novel approach, inspired by the radiator fins used to cool automobile engines. The researchers incorporated nanometre-scale gold structures at one end of a thin film made of magnetic insulator, designing it to effectively regulate temperature based on the concentration of the gold. These gold structures reduced the temperature of the spin waves at the targeted location, creating a temperature imbalance within the material.

The experiments demonstrated that this thin film reportedly improved spin wave transfer efficiency by 250% compared to conventional methods. The researchers reported the successful independent control of spin wave temperature and demonstrated a method for enhancing spin wave transfer efficiency by utilising this control.

Professor Hyungyu Jin from POSTECG said this research represents a significant milestone in developing next-generation information transfer technologies to address heat generation in electronics. Dr Sang Jun Park, the study’s lead author, said “By overcoming previous limitations, this technology has promising potential for a wide range of future applications using spin waves.”

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