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Temperature Gradients as a Data Storage Principle
Jeroen Schoenmaker1, Pâmella Gonçalves Martins1, Julio Carlos Teixeira1
1Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), Santo André CEP 09210-580, SP, Brazil.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 26, 2025
Summary
This study analyzes thermodynamic principles in data storage, including RAM and MRAM, using Landauer's principle and hysteresis. It introduces a novel temperature gradient memory (TeGraM) device with experimental validation.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Data Storage Systems
- Materials Science
Background:
- Modern data storage systems (RAM, HDD, flash, MRAM, FeRAM, PCRAM) are analyzed through thermodynamic principles.
- Landauer's principle and hysteresis are central to understanding data storage and processing.
- The role of heat in data storage is a critical consideration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the thermodynamic underpinnings of diverse data storage technologies.
- To examine data storage systems via their fundamental data unit's hysteresis loop, analogous to heat engines.
- To introduce and demonstrate a novel data storage concept: temperature gradient memory (TeGraM).
Main Methods:
- Thermodynamic analysis of data storage systems.
- Application of Landauer's principle with emphasis on hysteresis.
- Conceptualization and design of a realizable temperature gradient memory (TeGraM) device.
Main Results:
- Established a framework for analyzing data storage thermodynamics using hysteresis loops.
- Introduced the novel temperature gradient memory (TeGraM) concept.
- Presented experimental results validating the TeGraM technology.
Conclusions:
- Thermodynamic principles, particularly hysteresis, are fundamental to data storage.
- Temperature gradient memory (TeGraM) presents a viable new approach to data storage.
- Further research into TeGraM could lead to more efficient data storage solutions.
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