Single ferrotoroidic crystal hosts 4 distinct, stable magnetic states enabling data storage systems that surpass binary constraints

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1128822

"specific crystal made of lithium, nickel, iron, phosphate, whose atomic magnets organize into unique, stable antiferromagnetic patterns where neighboring spins point in opposite directions... the 4 states controllable applying external electric/ magnetic fields while cooling... non-volatile so states remain stable at constant temperature even after external fields removed.... quaternary memory technologies and advanced spintronic devices that could significantly increase data-storage density"

Related: Synthetic chemical framework can switch magnetic spin states at near ambient temperatures
https://phys.org/news/2026-06-synthetic-chemical-framework-magnetic-states.html