Manchester Scientists Develop Record-Breaking Molecular Magnet for Future Data Storage

Scientists at The University of Manchester have created a groundbreaking single-molecule magnet capable of retaining magnetic information at the highest temperature ever recorded for such materials 100 Kelvin (-173 °C), roughly the nighttime temperature on the Moon.

Published in Nature, this discovery marks a significant leap from the previous record of 80 Kelvin (-193 °C). While still far below room temperature, 100 K is above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (77 K), making this technology more practical for large-scale applications, such as in data centers used by tech giants like Google.

If perfected, these molecular magnets could revolutionize data storage, potentially fitting over three terabytes of information into a space as small as a square centimetre equivalent to half a million TikTok videos stored on a device the size of a postage stamp.

The research was led by Professor David Mills and his team at The University of Manchester, with computational modelling provided by collaborators at the Australian National University (ANU). Professor Mills commented, “This work highlights how chemists can design molecules with specific, high performance properties. While this technology won’t be in consumer devices soon, it brings ultra dense data storage in massive server farms much closer to reality.”

Conventional magnetic storage relies on clusters of atoms to hold data, but single molecule magnets store information within individual molecules no neighboring atoms required offering a path to vastly increased data density. The main barrier has been their need for ultra low temperatures to function effectively.

The breakthrough lies in the molecule’s unique structure: a dysprosium atom is precisely aligned between two nitrogen atoms in a nearly straight line a theoretically ideal geometry for magnetic stability, but never before achieved. To maintain this alignment, the researchers added an alkene group that acts like a molecular pin, locking the structure in place.

The ANU team supported the findings with a new theoretical model that simulates the molecule’s magnetic behavior, helping to explain why this design outperforms previous efforts.

This achievement sets the stage for next-generation magnetic storage, combining molecular precision with practical temperature requirements.

Source :  https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/manchester-chemists-create-molecular-magnet-that-could-boost-data-storage-by-100-times/