Simulation Studies of Nanomagnet-Based Architecture

TL;DR

This paper presents simulation results demonstrating how interacting nanomagnets can perform logic operations, propagate signals, and be stabilized for complex architectures, with insights into scaling, energy, and speed.

Contribution

It introduces a stabilization method using biaxial anisotropy to enable complex nanomagnet logic architectures and simulations of their performance.

Findings

Enhanced stability of nanomagnets with anisotropy improves logic signal integrity.

Simulations estimate energy dissipation and reversal times for nanomagnet logic.

Designs include wires, junctions, fanout nodes, and a universal logic gate.

Abstract

We report a simulation study on interacting ensembles of Co nanomagnets that can perform basic logic operations and propagate logic signals, where the state variable is the magnetization direction. Dipole field coupling between individual nanomagnets drives the logic functionality of the ensemble and coordinated arrangements of the nanomagnets allow for the logic signal to propagate in a predictable way. Problems with the integrity of the logic signal arising from instabilities in the constituent magnetizations are solved by introducing a biaxial anisotropy term to the Gibbs magnetic free energy of each nanomagnet. The enhanced stability allows for more complex components of a logic architecture capable of random combinatorial logic, including horizontal wires, vertical wires, junctions, fanout nodes, and a novel universal logic gate. Our simulations define the focus of scaling trends in nanomagnet-based logic and provide estimates of the energy dissipation and time per nanomagnet reversal.