Eighteenth-century substance could revolutionize computing

A pigment dating back to the 18th century may be able to help modern-day computers perform tasks at unprecedented speed, new research suggests.

A team from the University of Washington has rediscovered a lost substance known as cobalt green - a mixture of zinc oxide and cobalt. The substance was first formulated in 1780.

The scientists say that this pigment could be a base for "spintronic" devices - or spin-based computer circuits.

Current computers can only crunch numbers by comparatively-crude electric charges.

Spintronic devices could manipulate magnetic properties in individual electrons.

Such computing could speed up processors, increase the efficiency of random access memory (RAM), and even help make quantum computing (which could use the ability of

quantum systems, like a collection of atoms, to be in many states at once) a reality, according to the study.

The scientists hope that eventually computer users won't even have to wait for programs to load.

For years, scientists have tried to find materials to help these spintronic devices, but most materials were either too volatile or needed to be "supercooled".

Cobalt green can be used at room temperature, which may make it one of the most stable and versatile tools for devices using such technology, the scientists claim.

The scientists say their research is still in its infancy, and the pigment's exact function in spintronic technology is still being investigated.

The scientists' research was published in last month's edition of Physical Review Letters.

Photography: Fine Arts Store

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 10 edition