New shape for electronics

A fractal is a repeating pattern of ever smaller branches that gives structures a unique profile.

For example in nature the irregular branching shapes of a leaf, tree or snowflake. Scientists in Ohio now suggest that magnetic fields can take the form of fractals too - if a magnet is made of plastic molecules that are stacked in parallel chains.

The decreasing size of electronic devices such as hard discs, ID strips on credit cards may mean that one day they may be considered one or two dimensional rather than three dimensional objects. The scientists using a computer model, studied electronic structures that were so small they did not behave like normal 3D objects. As spatial dimensions decrease, the magnetic dimensions of the materials may take on fractal values.

The results of the scientists study could influence the design of electronic devices in the future.