Understanding randomness: Argonne researchers visualize decision-making in nanomagnetic structures

(Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy)
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have unveiled a novel approach to understanding stochasticity in tiny magnetic structures. Their work explores the intricate decision-making processes of nanomagnetic Galton boards, a modern take on a classical concept in statistics and computing. Their insights have the potential to transform computing architectures, leading to more sophisticated neural networks and enhancing encryption technologies to secure data against cyber threats. A Galton board uses a triangular array of pegs. As balls fall through the grid, they randomly bounce left or right, eventually landing somewhere along the bottom. In a nanomagnetic version of the Galton board instead of pegs, the boards use tiny magnetic structures made from a nickel-iron alloy. Instead of balls, they use domain walls, which are boundaries that separate regions with different magnetic orientations within a material. Nanostructures in this work were fabricated at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, a DOE Office of Science user facility at Argonne.

https://www.anl.gov/article/understanding-randomness-argonne-researchers-visualize-decisionmaking-in-nanomagnetic-structures