BM researchers revealed a previously unknown aspect of key physics inside Racetrack memory — a new technology design which stands to improve memory capabilities within mobile phones, laptop computers and business-class servers. This new class of memory could enable devices to store much more information – as much as a factor of 100 times greater – while using much less energy than today’s designs.
The Racetrack memory project — which started in IBM’s Research labs only six years ago — flips the current memory paradigm on its head. Instead of making computers seek out the data it needs – as is the case in traditional computing systems – IBM’s Racetrack memory automatically moves data to where it can be used, sliding magnetic bits back and forth along nanowire “racetracks.” This technique would allow electronic manufacturers to design a portable device capable of storing all the movies produced worldwide in a given year with room to spare.
