Bangalore: IISc smart materials have marked a major scientific breakthrough that could help build future quantum processors, advanced sensors, and energy-efficient data storage devices. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have created new materials that can reversibly change their magnetic properties when exposed to light, heat, or pressure. This innovation could reduce energy use in electronics while supporting next-generation computing and sensing technologies.
Details of IISc Smart Materials Breakthrough
Scientists from IISc’s Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit (SSCU), led by Associate Professor Dr. Abhishek Mondal, developed new chemical frameworks made of self-assembling metal-organic layers.
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These highly porous crystal materials can switch between magnetic states when stimulated by light, heat, pressure, or certain solvents. Unlike earlier materials, this switching is fully reversible, making them suitable for repeated use in advanced technologies.
What is the Importance of IISc Smart Materials Breakthrough
Magnetic switching is an important feature for technologies such as:
- Quantum processors
- High-performance sensors
- Memory and data storage devices
- Smart electronic components
Most existing materials work only at extremely low temperatures, making them expensive and difficult to use in real-world applications.
The IISc team has developed materials that perform these magnetic transitions close to room temperature, making practical applications much more realistic.
Two Major Research Breakthroughs
The researchers published two separate studies. The first study, published in Angewandte Chemie, solved a long-standing challenge in achieving reliable magnetic switching throughout three-dimensional porous materials. The team designed an elastic chemical framework that allows magnetic changes to spread across the entire material.
The second study, published in Small, introduced a two-dimensional hexagonal material capable of magnetic switching near ambient temperatures. The material also changes colour during the transition, allowing researchers to observe the process without specialised equipment.
Better Sensors for Industry and Environment
The new smart materials may significantly improve gas sensors. According to the IISc team, they are working on developing highly sensitive gas-capture sensors that can selectively detect industrial gases such as methane (CH₄), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO₂).
Such sensors could support environmental monitoring, industrial safety, and biological applications.
What are the Benefits of IISc Smart Materials Breakthrough
Quantum technologies require materials that can reliably control magnetic states at the atomic level.
These IISc-developed materials act like tiny molecular switches, allowing magnetic states to be changed using light, heat, or pressure. This property makes them promising building blocks for future quantum processors and next-generation computing systems.
Energy-Efficient Data Storage
Modern data centres consume enormous amounts of electricity. Researchers believe these smart materials could reduce energy consumption by enabling more efficient memory devices and storage technologies. They may also simplify electronic device architecture by combining sensing, switching, and memory functions into a single material.
Researchers Explain the Goal
PhD researcher Krishna Kaushik, the first author of both studies, said the aim was to create materials that remain stable close to room temperature.
Lead researcher Dr. Abhishek Mondal added that although the work is still at the fundamental research stage, it addresses major global challenges related to energy efficiency, sustainable electronics, and future computing technologies.
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