Low-Cost and Variation-Aware Spintronic Ternary Random Number Generator

In this paper, a ternary true random number generator (TTRNG) is designed and simulated using the stochastic behavior of the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device at currents lower than the critical current and the adjustability of the threshold voltage carbon nanotube field effect transistors. The stochastic behavior of the MTJ ensures the generation of a truly random sequence, while the CNTFET threshold voltage adjustability enables the design and implementation of the ternary circuits. To ensure the equality of the ratio of numbers generated by the designed TTRNG and to avoid the influence of fabrication process variation, a post-processing block has been designed and used in the proposed TTRNG. The results of the simulations show that the proposed TTRNG occupies at least 47% lower area and consumes 42% lower power than the state-of-the-art counterparts. Also, the statistical analysis results show that the variation in the ratio of random numbers generated even in fabrication process variation is less than 5%.

Automated summary

This paper presents the design and simulation of a ternary true random number generator (TTRNG) using a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device and carbon nanotube field effect transistors as the key components. The proposed TTRNG achieves true randomness through the stochastic behavior of the MTJ and can be implemented with ternary circuits thanks to the adjustability of the CNTFET threshold voltage. A post-processing block is introduced to ensure consistent ratio of generated numbers and mitigate the effects of fabrication process variation. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed TTRNG outperforms existing counterparts in terms of area and power consumption, and the variation in the ratio of random numbers generated is minimal even in fabrication process variation.