This project is awarded under the Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond competition, with support by multiple Directorates and Divisions at the National Science Foundation as well as by the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative of the Semiconductor Research Corporation.
Recent breakthroughs by the PI/co-PIs on the efficient injection and transport of spin in graphene at room temperature and the design of novel magnetologic gates (MLG) and circuits enable a new paradigm for computing that utilizes the electron spin to store and process information. In this project, graphene-based MLG devices and circuits will be designed and demonstrated through a concerted interdisciplinary effort that includes experiment (materials/devices/circuits), theory, and circuit design and simulation. A successful implementation of the MLG will lead to high-speed, low-power information processing by enabling computing architectures that integrate logic and memory to avoid the von Neumann bottleneck which hampers performance in modern computers. The interdisciplinary team will work together to tackle the three critical challenges for developing a functional MLG circuit: (1) to understand and optimize the spin injection and transport in graphene, (2) to develop a high-speed, low-power method of switching the FM electrodes that is compatible with graphene, (3) to design and implement CMOS-compatible MLG circuits. The program will promote diversity within the US technical workforce and prepare valuable specialists for the US electronics and magnetic recording industries.
As silicon electronics approaches its physical limits, there is a need to explore alternative technologies in order to develop faster computers that consume less energy. This project will develop a new paradigm for computing that exploits the magnetic poles (i.e. "spin") of electrons traveling inside a one-atom-thick layer of carbon known as graphene (recipient of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics). A long-term advantage will be to greatly accelerate computing applications that involve large amounts of data, such as database searching, data compression, and image recognition, which are important for homeland security. Technically, this will be accomplished by developing a new electronic device called a "magnetologic gate," which will serve as the building block for circuits that combine the functions of microprocessors (for decision making) and hard drives (for information storage) into a single chip. The team consists of the physicists, material scientists, and electrical engineers who have pioneered the key scientific breakthroughs that enable this future technology. The program will promote diversity within the US technical workforce and prepare valuable specialists for the US electronics and magnetic recording industries.
