New organic computer memory material saves energy

Science : Computers rely on two types of memoryâmdash;magnetic disks and random access memory, or RAM. A computer uses RAM, its working memory, to perform functions. Usually made by linking several transistors together, RAM requires a constant flow of electricity to maintain its information. Turning off a computer wipes RAM clean. Because of the expense and volatility of such data storage, researchers have been seeking an alternative. A promising new organic compound is being developed whose ring-shaped positively charged donor and negatively charged acceptor molecules spontaneously crystallize in an alternating pattern known as a mixed stack. When an electric field is applied, the molecules change partners, thus altering the overall electrical orientation. The new material is inexpensive and nonvolatile, and it works at room temperature, unlike previous organic ferroelectrics.