Ferroelectric nanoscale logic gates by mixed dislocations in SrTiO3

Conventional nanoscale logic gates involve several critical challenges, such as the appearance of leakage currents, and so new approaches to logic calculation devices have been exploited. However, although polarization switching in ferroelectrics has certain advantages in this regard, including nonvolatility, these materials are not leading candidates for logic gates because they disappear at the nanoscale and do not typically allow the two-inputs-one-output operation which is necessary for logic gates. Here, we demonstrate the possibility that ultrasmall ferroelectric nanoscale logic gates can be generated from mixed dislocations in SrTiO3. Phase-field simulations show that the unique strain field associated with a mixed dislocation induces a few nanometer polarization spiral, the chirality of which can be switched by electric fields that are both horizontal and vertical to the spiral. Due to this polarization structure, OR, AND, and NOT operations can be performed depending on the strength of the electric fields. These results suggest a different means of fabricating ultrathin logic gates, and could potentially lead to energy-efficient ultrahigh logic density devices.

Automated summary

Research has shown that ultrasmall ferroelectric nanoscale logic gates can be generated from mixed dislocations in SrTiO3, allowing for OR, AND, and NOT operations by switching the unique polarization spiral induced by the mixed dislocation.