New Study reveals how materials can ‘remember’ past forces
Trending | SCIENCE & TECH | However, the study, published in Science Advances, shows that materials can still retain sequences of past forces even when pushed in just one direction.
A new study has revealed that materials can store "memories" of the past, potentially opening new doors in mechanical engineering and computing.
A breakthrough in material memory
Researchers from the University of Chicago and Pennsylvania State University have expanded on a concept known as return-point memory. Traditionally, this type of memory requires a back-and-forth force—like a combination lock that turns in both directions.
However, the study, published in Science Advances, shows that materials can still retain sequences of past forces even when pushed in just one direction.
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The role of hysterons
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Using computer models, scientists identified abstract elements called hysterons—units within a material that do not immediately react to force but instead "remember" past deformations. When these hysterons experience what researchers call "frustrated interactions," they can store complex histories of force, breaking the known rules of return-point memory.
"The mathematical theorems for return-point memory say that we can't store a sequence if we only have this asymmetrical driving in one direction," explains physicist Nathan Keim from Pennsylvania State University.
Real-world implications
Physicist Travis Jalowiec, from Pennsylvania State University, says, "Hysterons are elements of a system that may not immediately respond to external conditions, and can stay in a past state"
Travis added, "Like how parts of a combination lock reflect the previous positions of the dial, and not where the dial is now."
To visualise this, imagine a bendy straw. When stretched, some folds pop open while others stay compressed, revealing past forces applied to it. Scientists suggest this principle could be harnessed in artificial materials, enabling mechanical systems to "remember" past states without electronic components.
Keim says, "If you can make a system that stores a sequence of memories, you can use it like a combination lock to verify a specific history, or you could recover diagnostic or forensic information about the past."
"We think this is a way to design artificial systems with this special kind of memory, starting with the simplest mechanical systems not much more complicated than a bendy straw and hopefully working up to something like an asymmetrical combination lock," Keim adds.