Toward a New Generation of Materials for Data Storage

[Press Release] - Published on July 22, 2024 in the Press Room

Faced with the explosion in data consumption, the University of Montpellier recognizes the need to revolutionize data storage using new molecular ferroelectric materials—materials capable of storing information in electrical form and offering a faster, more energy-efficient alternative to current technologies. This has been achieved through the creation and development of the MISTRAL project, which brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the Charles Gerhardt Institute in Montpellier (ICGM), the Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry in Bordeaux (ICMB), the Laboratory of Materials, Microelectronics, Acoustics, and Nanotechnologies (GREMAN, Tours), and the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium) to develop innovative materials. Funded by the National Research Agency (ANR) as part of the PEPR DIADEM program (Integrated Initiatives for Accelerating the Deployment of Emerging Materials), this project, with a budget of 800,000 euros, will be coordinated by the University of Montpellier.

Promising Materials for Tackling the Challenge of Data Storage

The growing demand for data storage is putting current technologies to the test. Ferroelectric materials offer a promising solution, combining speed with low energy consumption. However, metal oxides—the most widely studied—often contain critical metals, raising concerns about sustainability and supply. The MISTRAL project stands out for its approach based on molecular building blocks. This approach makes it possible to “design” materials with optimized properties. Among other things, the project will use high-throughput synthesis to efficiently screen synthesis conditions, accelerating the discovery of new molecular ferroelectric materials with optimized properties.

The project will focus on molecular materials that are purely organic (metal-free) or incorporate non-critical elements such as zinc, iron, magnesium, or calcium. Formed into thin films, these materials will be optimized to improve their future integration into devices.

Any new properties?

MISTRAL will also explore coupling with other properties such as magnetism, paving the way for applications in multi-level data storage and spintronics (a recent field that exploits a magnetic and quantum property of the electron called “spin”). The project will also develop characterization techniques specific to these molecular materials. These techniques will be complemented by theoretical calculations and an artificial intelligence approach to rationalize the materials’ properties and guide the synthesis of new systems. Furthermore, the concepts developed in the MISTRAL project can be extended to many other molecular-based magnetic and/or optical materials.

ANR Support for Cutting-Edge Research

The ANR funding under France 2030 as part of the PEPR DIADEM program underscores the importance and potential of the MISTRAL project. This support will enable researchers atUM conduct cutting-edge research and develop innovative materials that will contribute to France’s competitiveness in the field of materials. The PEPR DIADEM program is an exploratory program funded by France 2030 and led by the CNRS and the CEA.