Science News Archive

Clever Magnet - Plastic and Light Sensitive

American researchers have developed a magnetic plastic that changes its magnetic strength depending upon the colour of the light shining on it. When blue light is shone on the material it nearly doubles the strength of its magenetic field, an effect which the inventors think is due to the molecules of the substance changing shape when light of a certain wavelength hits it. They suggest that the new material might be useful for storing computer data.

11th May 2002