Magnetic 'Handedness' Could Lead To Better Magnetic Storage Devices 
Better magnetic storage devices for computers and other electronics could result from new work by researchers in the United States and Germany.
Their findings demonstrate that chirality, a spiral-like "handedness," in nanoscale magnets may play a crucial role in data transmission and manipulation in spintronic devices, where the spin rather than the charge of an electron is used to store data.
While the spins in ferromagnetic materials are simply oriented along one common direction, some nanomagnets were found to exhibit chirality. The term chirality refers to objects that differ from their mirror image like the human hand.
Matthias Bode, a scientist at the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory, said, “In nature many systems have chirality, such as elementary particles with electro-weak interactions organic molecules, hurricanes and even galaxies. Solids with magnetic order of unique chirality are prime candidates for applications, because their peculiar symmetry allows the mixing of electronic, optic, magnetic and structural properties.”
The researchers used spin-sensitive scanning tunneling miscroscopy (STM) and first-principles electronic structure calculations to identify the magnetic order. By making the STM technique sensitive to the spin, it allowed for the observation of the magnetism of single atoms. This extension of STM is known as spin polarized STM or SP-STM and was developed by Bode.
Using his enhanced technique, Bode demonstrated that under a magnetic field the pattern shifted in a given direction, which identified the unique chirality.
Results of the research were published in the May 10 issue of the journal Nature.
The premise for this work was inspired by the pioneering effort of Soviet physicist, Igor Dzyaloshinski. He showed that magnetic order may get twisted into helices with long-period in crystals lacking inversion symmetry, if the spin-orbit interactions are strong enough.
“In the past, this interaction had been considered unimportant in the scientific community," Bode said. "Now its relevance in nanostructures of any dimensionality such as thin films or magnetic particles is realized.”
Other researchers involved in this study are M. Heide, G. Bihlmayer and S. Blugel of Julich, Germany and K. von Bergmann, P. Ferriani, S. Heinze, A. Kubetzka, O. Pietzsch and R. Wiesendanger of Institute of Applied Physics and Microstructure Research Center, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Funding for this work was provided by the German Science Foundation.
New Materials for Making “Spintronic” Devices
An interdisciplinary group of scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory has devised methods to make a new class of electronic devices based on a property of electrons known as “spin,” rather than merely their electric charge. This approach, dubbed spintronics, could open the way to increasing dramatically the productivity of electronic devices operating at the nanoscale — on the order of billionths of a meter. The Brookhaven scientists have filed a US provisional patent application for their invention, which is now available for licensing.
“This development can open the way for the use of spintronics in practical room temperature devices, an exciting prospect,” said DOE Under Secretary for Science Raymond L. Orbach. “The interplay between outstanding facilities and laboratory researchers is a root cause for this achievement, and a direct consequence of the collaborative transformational research that takes place in our DOE laboratories.”
In the field of electronics, devices based on manipulating electronic charges have been rapidly shrinking and, therefore, getting more efficient, ever since they were first developed in the middle of the last century. “But progress in miniaturization and increasing efficiency is approaching a fundamental technological limit imposed by the atomic structure of matter,” said physicist Igor Zaliznyak, lead author on the Brookhaven Lab patent application. Once you’ve made circuits that approach the size of a few atoms or a single atom, you simply cannot make them any smaller.
To move beyond this limit, Zaliznyak’s team has been exploring ways to take advantage of an electron’s “quantum spin” in addition to its electric charge.
You can think of spin as somewhat analogous to the spin of a toy top, where the axis of rotation can point in any direction. But unlike a top, which can be slowed down, the “spinning” electron’s rotation is a quantum property — that is, a set amount that cannot change. By aligning the spins of multiple electrons so they all point the same way — known as polarization — scientists aim to create a current of spins in addition to a current of charges.
The Brookhaven group uses magnetism to manipulate spin in graphene, a material consisting of flat sheets of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern. They’ve proposed ways to make materials consisting of layers of graphene mated to magnetic and nonmagnetic layers.
These “graphene-magnet multilayers” (GMMs) are expected to retain their properties at room temperature, an important practical requirement for spintronic devices. By properly arranging the magnetization of the magnetic layer(s), they can be used to create a full spectrum of spintronic devices, including (re-)writable microchips, transistors, logic gates, and more. Using magnetism for spin manipulation also opens exciting possibilities for creating active, re-writable and re-configurable devices whose function changes depending on the magnetization pattern written on the magnetic medium.
“Graphene is quite unique,” Zaliznyak says, “in that an ideally balanced sheet is neither a conductor nor an insulator. Related to this is the fact that electrons in graphene behave in such a way that their mass effectively vanishes!” In other words, he explains, they move without inertia, like rays of light or particles accelerated to relativistic speeds — that is, close to the speed of light.
Such relativistic particles are studied at Brookhaven at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), a nuclear physics facility where scientists are trying to understand the fundamental properties and forces of matter. RHIC theoretical physicist Dmitri Kharzeev and condensed matter physicist Alexei Tsvelik have collaborated with Zaliznyak to gain a better understanding of the physics of magnetized graphene.
“Unifying the pool of knowledge and ideas of two fields is a great advantage for building the theoretical foundation for future devices,” Zaliznyak said. The patent application filed by the Brookhaven scientists, which puts graphene-magnet multilayers to work, leverages the large amount of scientific knowledge accumulated in both fields into developing a novel technology. Plus, the opportunity to study relativistic particles in two dimensions — on flat sheets of graphene — was an unexpected and useful arena for Brookhaven’s nuclear physicists trying to understand the properties of the matter produced at RHIC.
The patent application covers the methods for making the graphene-magnet multilayers, methods of using the GMMs, methods of magnetizing the GMMs, methods for measuring spintronic “current” in GMMs, and the spintronic devices made from GMMs.
Bodine Electric Company Offers New Digital PWM Controlled INTEGRAmotor.jpg)
Bodine Electric Company, a manufacturer of AC induction, permanent magnet DC and brushless DC motors, gearmotors and controls, recently introduced a new digital Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controlled version of its INTEGRAmotor line of standard products. INTEGRAmotors combine all four elements of a typical motion control system – a control, a brushless DC motor, a gearhead and an optical encoder – into one compact package. The all-in-one design reduces wiring hassles, assembly time, and cost, as well as minimizes EMI.
Bodine’s new PWM models combine a 24 VDC brushless DC motor with a built-in open loop voltage mode PWM controller. PWM controls digitally encode analog signal levels by using high-resolution counters. These counters convert the analog signal into a series of digital pulses of DC current. Compared to analog controls, digital PWM controls can significantly lower system costs and power consumption. The Bodine controls used in the type 22B/FV or 34B/FV INTEGRAmotors accept PWM input from an external motion controller or Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). They feature amplifier enable, direction input, dynamic braking and a built-in 256PPR and a 2-channel encoder.
“The INTEGRA represents an inexpensive way for OEMs to get all their motion control needs met in one compact package,” said Mike Marhoefer, Engineering manager for BLDC and Control Technology. “It represents Bodine’s long-term commitment to innovation - nobody else has anything quite like it.”
The INTEGRAmotors are designed for applications that would typically require more costly stepper or high-end servo systems, such as office equipment, packaging machines, conveyor systems, medical equipment, graphics machinery and factory automation.
EMI Shielded Vents and Filters
Tech-Etch manufactures EMI Shielded Honeycomb Vents, Fan Vents, Quiet Vents and Air Filters from prototype to high volume in all shapes and sizes. In-house plating improves shielding effectiveness and environmental protection, while providing fast turnaround. Many RoHS compliant finishes are available. Honeycomb Vents are offered in both standard and custom configurations. Shielding is accomplished with 1/8-cell aluminum honeycomb panels, and can be increased by using two 1/4-inch thick panels in a cross-cell configuration. Nine different aluminum vent styles are offered and additional shielding gaskets can be added to increase attenuation. Shielded Fan Vents with optional dust screens provide maximum airflow without degrading fan output. A BeCu gasket can be added to the frame and six standard sizes are offered. Quiet Vents with honeycomb media provide maximum airflow through openings requiring shielding to 90db attenuation levels. Since the honeycomb design yields 95 percent open vent area, the unrestricted air flow results in reduced turbulence plus lower noise levels than vents constructed from perforated metal. Available in 66 standard sizes, Quiet Vents are a low-cost shielding solution for the cooling requirements of today's electronic equipment. Light-weight, aluminum frames come standard with a Twinseal gasket for shielding between the frame and the mounting surface. Shielded Filter and Dust Shields attenuate EMI and provide a passage for cooling air while filtering dust.
WorldHeart Celebrates 1 Year of Sustained Recovery of First Levacor VAD Patient
World Heart Corp., a developer of mechanical circulatory support systems, celebrates the first explant anniversary of the first Levacor VAD patient. This 67-year-old man is enjoying an excellent quality of life after 85 days of VAD support enabled his heart to regain its function (Bridge-to-Recovery).
The second Levacor patient's course mirrors the first and he is doing well nine months after device explant.
The Levacor is a next-generation rotary VAD. It is the only bearingless, fully magnetically levitated implantable centrifugal rotary pump with clinical experience. An advanced, continuous-flow pump, the Levacor uses magnetic levitation to fully suspend the spinning rotor, its only moving part, inside a compact housing. The proprietary levitation technology employs a unique arrangement of magnetics expected to provide optimal system simplicity and reliability. In contrast to pumps with blood-immersed mechanical or hydrodynamic bearings, full magnetic levitation eliminates wear within the pump as well as dependence on blood properties for rotor suspension, and is expected to provide improved blood compatibility by allowing greater clearances around the rotor and more idealized flow patterns across a wider range of operation. The Levacor VAD has been designed with a high safety profile and robust range of operation to address the needs of current and future heart failure patients.
Dr. Antonis Pitsis, cardiovascular surgeon, director of the Thessaloniki Heart Institute, and principal investigator of the Levacor clinical feasibility trial said, "These patients' recovery of natural heart function while supported by the Levacor VAD has been remarkable. This device, with its wide range of operation, supported our protocols for recovery of the natural left ventricle extremely well. Most important is the high quality of life achieved by recovery."
Dr. James Long, a leader in the mechanical circulatory support field, participated in the clinical training and implantation of the Levacor VAD in Thessaloniki, said, "The initial success of this device is an exciting achievement and illustrates its capacity to support recovery of the failing natural heart. The US Clinical Trial Committee and our clinical colleagues are looking forward to introducing this technology to American heart failure patients via an upcoming clinical trial."
Mr. Jal Jassawalla, WorldHeart president and CEO, said, "We are pleased to have demonstrated the capability of the Levacor VAD. Based on the unique device design and the initial clinical experience in Greece, we anticipate that the upcoming U.S. trial will demonstrate the clinical benefits of this advanced technology.
MagTek Receives “Technology Innovation Award” from the Electronic Transaction Association
MagTek, Inc. has been awarded the 2006 annual “Technology Innovation Award” by the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) in recognition of MagTek’s achievement and leadership in the payment industry. MagTek was selected for its innovative product MagnePrint.
MagnePrint is a card authentication technology, which allows any magnetic stripe card to be recognized as a unique and non-reproducible security token. MagnePrint addresses the risks of online banking “Phishing” as well as “Skimming” at the point of sale, by offering strong two-factor authentication using existing ATM, debit, credit and gift cards.
"The ETA's Technology Innovation Award recognizes companies whose creative use of technology significantly advances the use of technology for their company and the payments industry as a whole. MagTek has certainly done that with the MagnePrint product. The Awards Committee felt that the MagTek innovation best represented the key attributes of the Technology Innovation Award." Said Kurt Strawhecker, of Strategic Management Partners, Chairman of the ETA Awards and Recognition Committee.
“We are proud to be recognized by the ETA Technology Committee and pleased that our MagnePrint technology provides real benefits for our customers and the electronic transaction industry as a whole,” said Annmarie D "Mimi" Hart, president and CEO of MagTek, Inc. “It is an honor to receive this award, especially from the ETA, because the Association clearly understands the value of a secure and reliable payment card, and the confidence it engenders in the payment system.”
Rapid EMC testing: VACUUMSCHMELZE Introduces VITROPERM 500F Core Sample Kit
VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG (Hanau) have released a new core sample kit comprising
nanocrystalline VITROPERM toroidal tape-wound cores for EMC applications. A convenient plastic case contains around 65 cores in various sizes and types, with external dimensions ranging from approximately 10 to 40 millimetres. In graduated permeability ranges from 18,000 to over 100,000, the kit provides developers with the maximum scope for laboratory experimentation.
Common Mode Chokes with VITROPERM cores demonstrate superior broadband attenuation properties even at high operating temperatures of up to 150°C. Thanks to the combination of high permeability and high saturation flux density, small size Common Mode Chokes with fewer turns can be
produced that deliver outstanding high-frequency response.
Sypris Test & Measurement Relocates Chicago Calibration Lab
Sypris Test & Measurement, Inc., a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions, Inc., recently relocated its Chicago A2LA-accredited Calibrations Laboratory to a new suite within the same building. The newly renovated space is twice the size of the previous suite, which allows the Lab to expand its offerings and to more easily accommodate the growing customer demand.
“After experiencing a record breaking year in 2006, the Lab is looking forward to breaking that record again in 2007 with the new space and facility,” said Leonard Gaffney, District Manager. The Chicago Lab will continue to offer calibration services throughout Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota in addition to continuing to support many of the Company’s domestic and international customers.
The Lab’s new address is 2055 Army Trail Road, Suite 114 – 116, Addison, IL 60101. The Lab phone (630-620-5800) and fax (630-620-0584) numbers will remain the same.
AC-DC Power Supplies Global Market Forecasts and Competitive Environment Eighth Edition Available Now
Research and Markets has announced the addition of “AC-DC Power Supplies Global Market Forecasts and Competitive Environment Eighth Edition” to their offering.
Traditionally, the embedded ac-dc power supply market is one of the more staid segments in the power electronics industry. However, several divergent trends are creating a number of opportunities and threats. The ongoing rise of the consumer device market is driving increasing unit sales, but at the same time bringing down the average selling price of power supplies. Additionally, the consumer devices market is shifting from captive production to merchant production. Delta Electronics, the embedded ac-dc power supply market share leader, experienced growth of 43 percent during 2005, partially as a result of a growing focus on providing power supplies for markets that have traditionally been captive production. Many other companies are following a similar path.
As a result of the rise of the consumer market and because of its shift from captive to merchant production, forecasts for both the merchant and merchant/captive markets are provided in this report. Combined worldwide merchant and captive embedded ac-dc power supply units sales are expected to rise from 890.8 million units in 2006 to 1,134.4 million units in 2011, an annualized growth rate of 5 percent. During the same period, merchant revenue is projected to rise from $11.2 billion to $14.8 billion, at an annualized rate of 5.8 percent.
In addition to consumer devices, there are several applications and technical trends that are expected to drive the embedded ac-dc power supply market. Within the computer segment, Intel's focus on dual core processors and the move towards the BTX will slow down desktop PCs' continual rise to higher wattages. Blade servers are diminishing enterprise server and traditional server growth, but are providing greater revenue opportunities because they are higher wattage power supplies that require more advanced features, including redundancy and hot-swap ability. The computer storage market is also providing strong growth, as companies' data storage needs increase because of financial regulations and the growing broadband content provided on the web. The communications market is undergoing its own transformation as Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) drives opportunities for Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) and Customer Premises Equipment. Additional communications opportunities can be found as cable operators and traditional telecom carriers duel over triple-play services. Set-top-box sales will remain one of the largest and fastest-growing communications applications.
Smaller niche markets are also providing strong growth. Industrial is benefiting from continued rise of China. Light emitting diodes for signage are also providing growth drivers for ac-dc power supply makers outside of the traditional "three-C" markets of computers, communications and consumer. Power supplies for the medical market are seeing a boom driven by the "consumerization" of medical devices trend. Counter intuitively, the Military/Aerospace market is seeing slower growth than it has in recent years, as military budgets are drawn thin by the prolonged military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. In order to best describe the multitude of application trends that are driving the embedded ac-dc power supply market, 25 distinct applications are forecasted in four regions and worldwide.
Power levels continue to rise, particularly as servers migrate to blade servers and applications such as PoE gain steam. The potential move to PoE-Plus, which is expected to at least double the power PoE offers, will significantly increase the power level of these devices. Additionally, the move towards the distributed power architectures and, more specifically, the Intermediate Bus Architecture, has created increasing demand for ac-dc front ends. This results in a greater share of rack-mounted power supplies and also brings up the average wattage of power supplies. DIN-Rail power supplies, while still a small market worldwide, are slowly gaining share in North America as companies such as Lambda Electronics have brought this predominately European package to the North America and Asia markets. Also, as the Consumer market becomes more merchant, there has been a growing demand for standard-designed power supplies.
The increasing use of higher wattage power supplies, particularly in the broad computer market, is placing increasing focus on the efficiency of embedded ac-dc power supplies. The US's Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Program has already enacted voluntary efficiency standards for external power supplies, and Energy Star has begun to focus on embedded power supplies by drafting applications standards that include specifications for the power supply in use. However, driven by regulation or not, the current economic condition requires a move towards more efficient power supplies. Similarly, power factor correction is increasingly being used as the average wattage level of applications increase.
The move towards digital power control and conversion remains in its infancy, but is beginning to play a role in the ac-dc power supply market. While dc-dc converters have received the majority of the attention, a number of digitally controlled ac-dc front ends have come to market that will have implications for future power supply design.
Regionally, Asia and China have become a much larger share of the embedded power supply market, especially as the sales of consumer devices have grown. However, North America and Europe remain large markets, especially for power supplies for higher-end applications, typically with higher wattages. As a result, these two regions maintain strong revenue opportunities, despite slower-growing unit sales.
While the broad economic picture and application trends provide promise for ac-dc power supply makers, the economic trends of the power supply market itself poses greater threats. The market has recently entered a period of consolidation, especially for the major players. Within the last year, three of the top five power supply companies have been involved in major acquisitions. These mergers give the new companies greater economies of scale. As a result, while the ac-dc power supply market is still serviced by hundreds if not thousands of companies, market share of the largest few continues to grow. This is an increasing threat to the other power suppliers in the market and may necessitate more consolidation in an attempt to level the playing field. To capture all of the dynamics in the embedded ac-dc power supply, detailed profiles of more than 40 companies are provided. Additionally, market shares for each of the top-five companies Worldwide and in North America, Europe, and Asia are given. |
