Computers are often described with "ones and zeros," referring to their binary nature: each memory element stores data in two states. But there is no fundamental reason why there should be just two. In a new study, researchers have designed a magnetic element that has six stable magnetic states, which paves the way toward realizing a six-state magnetic memory element. This isn't the first time that researchers have designed memory cells with more than two states, or bits. The best-known example is multi-level flash memory cells, which can store up to four bits per cell. While multi-level flash cells have advantages such as a higher density and lower cost, they also suffer intrinsic drawbacks such as lower writing speeds and higher power consumption. The new six-state memory element presented here is different because it is magnetic, whereas flash memory is electronic. Although electronic memories are currently the most commonly used type of memory, various types of magnetic random access memory (MRAM) are being actively researched due to advantages in low power consumption, fast operation, and long lifetime. http://phys.org/news/2016-05-six-state-magnetic-memory.html
A novel twist to MRAM but if the diagram is at all accurate, not very promising overall. Too much real-estate is taken up by elliptical 'flower petals' to get stable biasing in central 'disc'. Better to just pack many more 2-state cells in the same area. Tip - look elsewhere to invest than in this potential startup.
