Digital Information Storage in Three Dimensions Using Magnetic Cores

TLDR

Current digital storage relies on two spatial or time-space coordinates for selection, making devices bulky or slow. The proposed mode uses a magnetic material that distinguishes two magnetizing forces in a 2:1 ratio, enabling one core per bit. Three‑dimensional arrays with fast selection are feasible using rectangular‑hysteresis materials; metallic ones are too slow, but nonmetallic materials switch in under a microsecond.

Abstract

Present digital storage devices use two space coordinates or time and one space coordinate for selection switching, resulting in bulky construction or long access time. Three-dimensional arrays with efficient high speed selection appear possible after continued development of rectangular-hysteresis magnetic materials. An operating mode is suggested which depends on ability of the magnetic material to discriminate between two values of magnetizing force which differ by a 2:1 ratio. Only one magnetic core per binary digit is required. Tests show that most existing metallic magnetic materials switch in 20 to 10,000 microseconds and are too slow. Nonmetallic magnetic materials can now approach the required magnetic behavior; they switch in less than a microsecond.