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

Switching magnetic domains in magnetic memory normally requires magnetic fields generated by electrical currents, hence requiring large amounts of electrical power. Now, teams from France, Spain and Germany have demonstrated the feasibility of another approach at the nanoscale: "We can induce magnetic order on a small region of our sample by employing a small electric field instead of using magnetic fields," Dr. Sergio Valencia, HZB, says.