A tiny sensor that can read the data from nano-scale magnetic circuits is being developed by researchers from Sheffield and Leeds Universities.

The researchers believe that in some cases, magnetic nanotechnology devices could offer higher device density, lower power consumption, improved reliability or additional functionality, compared with more traditional silicone-based devices.

The project aims to develop a network of magnetic nanowires that can process information. The magnetic polarisation of various regions, or domains of the wire would represent the binary numbers of digital information. While this is not new, the challenge facing the team is to develop a device that can read out the magnetic data in a form compatible with modern electronics.

Dan Allwood, the principal investigator from Sheffield University can do this in a lab using a huge piece of machinery, but aims to do this on a chip. The team from Leeds University is charged with creating a small sensitive magnetoresistive sensor to sit on the chip and extract the magnetic data.

Chris Marrow, principal investigaor from Leeds University, explained: “The magetic field coming oout of the wire is very weak so you need a very sensitive sensor. It also has to be extremely small. We have to fit our entire sensor into an area that’s much smaller than a micron, and very close to the edge of the wire we want to detect magetisation from.”

Creating a sensor that can read out data at a high speed is another challenge faced by developers.

Morrows continued: “Silicon runs happily at gigahertz – with magnetics you’d find it tough to do anything above 100mHz.”

With this in mind the researchers are developing the magnetic technology for use on lower-end applications such as RFID tags where the cost of the technology is more important that its performance or speed.

The project, which begins this autumn, is expected to last three years. It was recently awarded a £500,000 EPSRC grant, and is receiving industrial support from hard-drive manufacturer Seagate Technology.