2nd generation is being developed through two approaches: thermal-assisted switching (TAS) which is currently being developed by Crocus Technology, and spin-transfer torque (STT) on which Crocus, Hynix, IBM, and several other companies are working. However, with storage density and capacity orders of magnitude smaller than an HDD, MRAM is useful in applications where moderate amounts of storage with a need for very frequent updates are required, which flash memory cannot support due to its limited write endurance. Six state MRAM is also being developed, echoing four bit multi level flash memory cells, that have six different bits, as opposed to two. Research is also being done by Aleksei Kimel at Radboud University in the Netherlands towards the possibility of using terahertz radiation rather than using standard electropulses for writing data on magnetic storage media. By using terahertz radiation, writing time can be reduced considerably (50x faster than when using standard electropulses). Another advantage is that terahertz radiation generates almost no heat, thus reducing cooling requirements. See also Digital Audio Tape Digital Data Storage Disk storage Karlqvist gap Magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) Magnetic recording methods: Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) Longitudinal magnetic recording (LMR) Perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR), also known as conventional magnetic recording (CMR) Shingled magnetic recording (SMR) Marvin Camras (1916–1995), American electrical engineer and inventor, major contributor to magnetic recording technology Reference External links A History of Magnetic Recording (BBC/H2G2) Selected History of Magnetic Recording Oberlin Smith and the Invention of Magnetic Sound Recording History of Magnetic Recording on the UC San Diego web site (CMRR). A Chronology of Magnetic Recording. " Science Reporter, VOLUME 43 NUMBER 7 JULY 2006 "Magnetic Recording a Revolutionary Technology" American inventions Storage media Computer storage media Magnetic devices