Single-molecule magnetic memory is the first to work at room temperature

An iron complex has become the first single-molecule magnetic memory that works at room temperature. ‘It’s a paradigm shift that will significantly impact the field,’ says Roberta Sessoli from the University of Florence, Italy, a pioneer in molecular magnetism who wasn’t involved in the project. The discovery could lead to miniaturised memory devices, which would reduce the energy consumption of everyday electronics.

Sometimes molecules possess a memory effect known as bistability, where they can switch between two configurations in response to an external stimulus. Single-molecule magnets, for example, showcase magnetic bistability when exposed to external magnetic fields. However, this effect only holds at very low temperatures – a dysprosium compound currently holds the stability record at 80K.