Dreaming of next generation computers

KOZHIKODE: In what seems to be a prelude to the next generation in the field of science and technology, Dr N E Rajeevan, an associate professor of Physics at The Zamorin’s Guruvayurappan College, Kozhikode, is undertaking breakthrough research in the field of magnetoelectric multiferroics.As of now, this material cannot be used because it requires high temperature to be functional.His research, which concentrates on the methods to bring down the required temperature, will make way for see-saw changes in the technology field.It will help increase the speed of memory access and storage capacity of computers multifold.The material, according to him, is expected to pave way for the evolution of four-state logic devices which is more efficient compared to the binary logic devices presently used in the Information Technology.Various researches and studies have been conducted on this topic across the world from the 1960’s itself, but without much fruition.“Currently, this is one of the most ambitious research topics in the world of science.The most important thing is to invent a material which is operational in room temperature in order to be used as device,” Rajeevan said.Pursuing research in the field for the past five years, using Cobalt-Bismuth-Manganese transition oxide, he has been able to bring the temperature to a level of minus 100 and +100 degree Celsius.It should be brought to the room temperature for using it in computers.“When I commenced the research, the temperature was between minus 200-0- 1000 degree Celsius.I have succeeded in taking this to below 200 degree Celsius, which now matches the device fabrication standards,” said Rajeevan.With his research started to yield results, he was called to present a paper in the recently held 4th International conference on Magneto science (ICMS 2011) in China, being organised by the Shanghai University in association with the North Western Polytechnic University.His paper ‘Effect of swift Heavy Ion Irradiation on Multiferroic Bi-substituted Co2MnO4 thin films’ has attracted attention of experts from various corners of the scientific world.He is one among the three Indians who were invited to attend the conference.He is the recipient of Best PhD Thesis award 2009-10 at Solid State Physics Symposium organized by Department of Atomic Energy.Currently pursuing research in collaboration with HASYLAB-DESY, Hamburg (Germany) School of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin (Ireland) and European Syncrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble Cedex (France) and with a number of research centres and universities in the country including the BARC, he expressed his dissatisfaction on not having better research facilities in the country.