Research has led to improved detection of topological loads in 3D magnetic storage, which will replace conventional hard disks. Topological defects located in this study using X-ray tomography play a key role in the rapid and stable propagation of information. The article, published in Nature Communications, uses a new imaging technique developed through a collaboration between the University of Oviedo, the Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Research Centre (CINN), the ALBA Synchrotron and the University of Glasgow.

 

This technological development is of great interest at a time when the scientific community and the magnetic recording industry are working on the development of 3D magnetic devices with greater storage capacity than conventional 2D hard disks and where magnetic topological defects play a key role in the rapid and stable propagation of information.

 

Magnetic X-ray imaging enables conventional magnetic microscopy techniques, which provide two-dimensional images, to be extended to three dimensions, thus creating three-dimensional maps like the one shown in the image.

 

Key to this advance has been the ALBA Synchrotron's "Mistral" X-ray microscopy beamline, originally designed for imaging biological samples. In this project, the measurement method was adapted in order to obtain the magnetic characterisation at microscopic scale with vectorial and three-dimensional information, the necessary calibration and reconstruction software was developed and, lastly, it was possible to experimentally identify the three-dimensional configuration and topological load of the Bloch points.