CHAOSPIN · Chaos-based information processing using spintronic nano-oscillators

Chaos-based information processing using spintronic nano-oscillators

ChaoSpin was a frontier research project at the interface between nanomagnetism, spintronics, and nonlinear dynamics. It was motivated by the premise that the rich behaviour of nonlinear systems, in particular chaos, can be leveraged for alternative computing paradigms. The primary objective was to establish the utility and feasibility of the nanocontact vortex oscillator, a nanoscale spintronic device, as a universal building block for chaos-based information processing by demonstrating key technological functionalities, such as random number generation and communication using symbolic dynamics. The underlying idea is that the complexity required for computation and possible cognitive functions can be generated within a single system, without the need of a complex array of interconnected subsystems. The project addresses the problems arising from the end of “Moore’s law”, a projection that defines the roadmap followed by the semiconductor industry which results in computer processing power being doubled roughly every 18 months. The future of this trend is in question since further miniaturisation of microelectronic components like transistors will not result in commensurate growth in performance, largely due to issues related to energy consumption and device-to-device variability when their dimensions reach the nanometre scale. As such, alternative computing paradigms are actively being explored, such as neuro-inspired and quantum computing. The aim of ChaoSpin is to show that paradigms based on chaotic phenomena could be useful to address these issues. The project objectives were defined by three scientific questions related to magnetic vortex dynamics on the nanoscale, namely: • Can the chaotic state be detected experimentally? • How does the chaotic state respond to external forcing? • Can the chaotic state be exploited for information processing? These questions were addressed by combining the use of high-performance simulation tools and quantitative theories with state-of- the-art experiments involving high-frequency electrical characterisation. We succeeded in determining the chaotic nature of the vortex dynamics experimentally. We also showed that the nanocontact vortex oscillator can indeed produce aperiodic patterns, which contain sufficient entropy to be used for random number generation.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз