Science:
Computers rely on two types of
memoryâmdash;magnetic disks and random access
memory, or RAM. A computer uses RAM, its working memory, to
perform functions. Usually made by linking several transistors
together, RAM requires a constant flow of electricity to
maintain its information. Turning off a computer wipes RAM
clean. Because of the expense and volatility of such data
storage, researchers have been seeking an alternative. A
promising new
organic
compound is being developed whose ring-shaped positively
charged donor and negatively charged acceptor molecules
spontaneously crystallize in an alternating pattern known as a
mixed stack. When an electric field is applied, the molecules
change partners, thus altering the overall electrical
orientation. The new material is inexpensive and nonvolatile,
and it works at room temperature, unlike previous organic
ferroelectrics.
