Nonvolatile Multi-level Memory and Boolean Logic Gates Based on a Single Memtranstor

Abstract

Memtranstor that correlates charge and magnetic flux via nonlinear magnetoelectric effects has a great potential in developing next-generation nonvolatile devices. In addition to multi-level nonvolatile memory, we demonstrate here that nonvolatile logic gates such as NOR and NAND can be implemented in a single memtranstor made of the Ni/PMN-PT/Ni heterostructure. After applying two sequent voltage pulses (X1, X2) as the logic inputs on the memtranstor, the output magnetoelectric voltage can be positive high (logic "1"), positive low (logic "0"), or negative (logic "0"), depending on the levels of X1 and X2. The underlying physical mechanism is related to the complete or partial reversal of ferroelectric polarization controlled by inputting selective voltage pulses, which determines the magnitude and sign of the magnetoelectric voltage coefficient. The combined functions of both memory and logic could enable the memtranstor as a promising candidate for future computing systems beyond von Neumann architecture.

8 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Circuit elements with memory: memristors, memcapacitors and meminductors
• Multiferroic materials and magnetoelectric physics: symmetry, entanglement, excitation, and topology
• Nanobatteries in redox-based resistive switches require extension of memristor theory
• A non-volatile memory based on nonlinear magnetoelectric effects
• Towards the Complete Relational Graph of Fundamental Circuit Elements