Dublin research team captures images of magnetic monopoles
Researchers at University College Dublin have captured the first direct images of magnetic monopoles. These were theoretically conceived by the British-Swiss physicist Paul Dirac in the early 1930s, who showed their existence is consistent with quantum theory.
The monopoles were imaged using highly intense x-ray radiation from the Swiss Light Source at the Paul Scherrer Institute.
"A magnetic monopole is a … magnet with only one magnetic pole," said Prof Hans-Benjamin Braun from the UCD School of Physics. "Some of the most important theories explaining how quantum matter behaves in the universe are based on their existence, but they have eluded direct imaging since they were first theoretically conceived."
Magnetic monopoles may have application in data transfer and storage. So far, only electric charges have been used in information processing and the use of magnetic charges could provide significant advantage in power consumption and speed.
Hard disks store data magnetically and next generation devices will most likely be built from tiny isolated magnets of the type investigated in the research.
