Spintronics by 'straintronics': Switching superferromagnetism with electric-field induced strain

Data storage in magnetic media is very energy consuming. Novel materials could reduce the energy needed to control magnetic memories thus contributing to a smaller carbon footprint of the IT sector. Now an international team has observed at the HZB lightsource BESSY II a new phenomenon in iron nanograins: whereas normally the magnetic moments of the iron grains are disordered at room temperature, this can be changed by applying an electric field.