Scientists at Tel Aviv University have used superlubricity, a state with almost no friction, in electronic parts. Friction is the force that stops surfaces from sliding easily. It’s helpful sometimes, but it also wears things out and wastes energy. The scientists applied this idea to improve memory in computers and devices. Better efficiency and durability matter a lot.

A paper published in Nature describes the methods and results of this study. The scientists say nature shows us how to make surfaces slide without friction. Superlubricity happens when atomic layers don’t line up perfectly. Think of two egg cartons stacked together. If aligned, they stick. If rotated, they slide.

In their lab, the scientists built materials just two atoms thick. They shifted atoms slightly to move electrons between layers. This created a super-thin memory device. For this study, they mixed boron and nitrogen layers with a graphene sheet in between. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms. They poked tiny holes, 100 atoms wide, in the graphene. Inside the holes, boron and nitrogen aligned. Outside, the graphene kept them out of sync, erasing friction. This let atoms slide fast and use less energy for reading and writing data.

New technology for fast, reliable, and long-lasting computer memories

In a Tel Aviv University press release, research leader Moshe Ben Shalom says that this new memory technology beats older ones. It’s more efficient and doesn’t wear out. The scientists also found out that, when the tiny aligned spots are close, movement in one affects the others. This could lead to new ways of computing, like mimicking the brain. The scientists are working with companies to turn this into real products. They believe this could make memory arrays fast, reliable, and long-lasting.

Next, the scientists will study how these memory bits can work together mechanically. This interaction was impossible before. Superlubricity might spark big changes in technology.

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