Computer dienen heute als Musikbox, Filmarchiv und Fotoalbum. Sie müssen daher immer größere Datenmengen schnell zugänglich machen. Wissenschaftler des Max-Planck-Instituts für intelligente Systeme in Stuttgart und des Hallenser Max-Planck-Instituts für Mikrostrukturphysik bereiten den Weg für magnetische Speichermaterialien, die das ermöglichen, und nutzen dabei geschickt die ganz eigenen Gesetze der Nanowelt aus. Text Christian Meier
The software enables electron microscopes to extract more information about the composition of crystals.
A new software called QED (Quantitative Electron Diffraction), which has been licensed by Max Planck Innovation, has now been released by HREM Research Inc., a Japan based company, which is developing products and services in the field of High-Resolution Electron Microscopy. QED allows transmission electron microscopes to acquire novel kinds of data, opening up new possibilities in electron crystallography.
Magnetic vortex cores, which can be used as particularly stable storage points for data bits, can now be switched much faster
Microscopically tiny ferromagnetic platelets exhibit a phenomenon which could be exploited in the future for particularly stable magnetic data storage: so-called magnetic vortex cores. These are needle-shaped magnetic structures measuring 20 nanometres (millionths of a millimetre) in diameter. Five years ago, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (formerly the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research) in Stuttgart found a way to reverse the magnetic field needles despite their stability using only a tiny amount of energy so that their tips pointed in the opposite direction. Such a switching process is necessary to enable the vortex cores to be used in data processing. The Stuttgart scientists have now discovered a new mechanism which makes this switching process at least 20 times faster and confines it to a far smaller region than before. Magnetic vortex cores could thus provide a means of data storage which is stable, fast and greatly miniaturized.
Max Planck Research Award 2011 for Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schölkopf
Sebastian Thrun from Stanford University and Bernhard Schölkopf from the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart have been awarded the 2011 Max Planck Research Award, which is endowed with 750,000 euros for each award winner. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Max Planck Society honour two outstanding scientists who have brought significant progress to a research field that is at the interface of different disciplines.
Michael J. Black teaches computers to analyse data on their environment as quickly and reliably as the human brain.
Max Planck Society establishes highly innovative research facility for "Intelligent Systems" in Baden-Württemberg
The Max Planck Society is restructuring the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, thereby creating a research facility that will focus on the area of intelligent systems. This includes computer sciences and biology, as well as innovative aspects of materials research, already part of the work at the Institute. In addition to the Stuttgart location, another division of the Institute will be established in Tübingen. Each site will have four research departments. To reflect its new orientation, the Institute will also be given a new name. Subject to approval from the Max Planck Society's Senate, it will be called the "Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems". Max Planck Society President, Peter Gruss introduced the new scientific concept of the Institute together with Minister-President Stefan Mappus (CDU) at a regional press conference in Stuttgart.
Max Planck researchers discover new possibilities for magnetic storage
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Metals Research in Stuttgart have discovered a new mechanism with which it is possible to use weak magnetic fields to reverse tiny magnetic structures, called vortex cores, quickly and with no losses. Up until now, very strong magnetic fields have been necessary to accomplish this, requiring highly complex technology. The new method might open up new possibilities for magnetic data storage (Nature, November 23rd, 2006).
Committee and authors receiving the prize at the banquet at the Bristol’s Great Council Hall.