Writing data to conventional magnetic disks might speed up by a factor of 1,000 if industry takes up an experimental, ultrafast way to trigger magnetization reversals in thin films.

Back, C.H. ... W. Weber ... D. Weller, et al. 1999. Minimum field strength in precessional magnetization reversal. Science 285(Aug. 6):864.

Lipkin, R. 1995. Storing vast amounts of data in tiny spots. Science News 147(April 22):245.

Christian H. Back
Laboratorium für Festkörperphysik
ETH Zürich, CH-8093
Zürich
Switzerland

H. Neal Bertram
University of California, San Diego
Department of Physics
Center for Magnetic Recording Research
La Jolla, CA 92093

Wolfgang Weber
Laboratorium für Festkörperphysik
ETH Zürich, CH-8093
Zürich
Switzerland

Dieter Weller
IBM Research Division
Almaden Research Center
650 Harry Road
San Jose, CA 95120

From Science News, Vol. 156, No. 6, August 7, 1999, p. 85. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.