RC circuit based on magnetic skyrmions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that magnetic skyrmions can emulate the behavior of an RC circuit, including charging, discharging, and filtering, on the nanosecond scale, offering potential for neuromorphic computing.

Contribution

It introduces a novel skyrmion-based device that replicates RC circuit dynamics and functions as an artificial neuron, bridging spintronics and neuromorphic systems.

Findings

Skyrmions emulate RC circuit equations in simulations.

The system reproduces exponential voltage decay.

It acts as a low-pass filter for high-frequency signals.

Abstract

Skyrmions are nano-sized magnetic whirls attractive for spintronic applications due to their innate stability. They can emulate the characteristic behavior of various spintronic and electronic devices such as spin-torque nano-oscillators, artificial neurons and synapses, logic devices, diodes, and ratchets. Here, we show that skyrmions can emulate the physics of an RC circuit, the fundamental electric circuit composed of a resistor and a capacitor, on the nanosecond time scale. The equation of motion of a current-driven skyrmion in a quadratic energy landscape is mathematically equivalent to the differential equation characterizing an RC circuit: the applied current resembles the applied input voltage, and the skyrmion position resembles the output voltage at the capacitor. These predictions are confirmed via micromagnetic simulations. We show that such a skyrmion system reproduces the characteristic exponential voltage decay upon charging and discharging the capacitor under constant input. Furthermore, it mimics the low-pass filter behavior of RC circuits by filtering high-frequencies in periodic input signals. Since RC circuits are mathematically equivalent to the Leaky-Integrate-Fire (LIF) model widely used to describe biological neurons, our device concept can also be regarded as a perfect artificial LIF neuron.