IIT Mandi researchers develop next-generation spintronic technology

The nano-spintronic devices developed by the team will put an end to computer data loss due to interruptions of power supply, claimed the project supervisors

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here have demonstrated cutting-edge Magnetic Random-Access Memory (MRAM) technology with the capability of transforming next-generation computers, smartphones and other gadgets, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology.

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MRAM is much faster than the current technology and offers unlimited read and write cycles. The expected computer refresh programming time for MRAM-based data storage bit may be as low as ~2ns (nanoseconds), instead of ~50ns for the familiar DRAM (Dynamic Random-Access Memory) bit.

The team from IIT Mandi recently designed and developed spin-transfer torque (STT) based nano-spintronic devices, which will put an end to computer data loss due to interruptions of power supply.

School of computing and electrical engineering associate professors Dr Satinder K Sharma and Dr Srikant Srinivasan, along with their research scholars Mohamad G Moinuddin, Shivangi Shringi and Aijaz H Lone, who undertook the research project, said that this need is particularly relevant in modern times as the abundant digital, communication and information devices are expected to generate data volumes requiring 1 trillion hard drives at every instant by 2024.

The Centre for Design and Fabrication of Electronic Devices (C4DFED) at IIT Mandi is a world class, state-of-the-art facility for multidisciplinary research of electronic device design and fabrication facility. It has Class 100 and Class 1000 clean room laboratories where high-end sophisticated electronic device design, fabrications, and characterisation tools are installed, amounting to more than ₹50 crore, Dr Satinder informed.