Apply an electric field to a material, and its positive and negative charges will separate, creating an electric polarization. This is the fundamental effect behind capacitors used in electronics as well as in ferroelectrics used in some computer memories. In the latter case, to achieve a permanent electric polarization, the positive and negative charges need [...]
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Tag Archives: ferroelectricity
Are fridge magnets the future in computer memory?
Fridge magnets, and related magnets used in homes and offices, are made from the ceramic BaFe12O19, whose annual commercial production reaches 830,000 tons a year. Contrary to what their mundane use suggests, the physics of these magnets is rather unusual. They belong to a rare class of materials whose magnetism can be controlled with electric [...]
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November 27, 2011

