Hybrid spintronics and straintronics: A magnetic technology for ultra low energy computing and signal processing

The authors show that the magnetization of a 2-phase magnetostrictive/piezoelectric multiferroic single-domain shape-anisotropic nanomagnet can be switched with very small voltages that generate strain in the magnetostrictive layer. This can be the basis of ultralow power computing and signal processing. With appropriate material choice, the energy dissipated per switching event can be reduced to similar to 45 kT at room temperature for a switching delay of similar to 100 ns and similar to 70 kT for a switching delay of similar to 10 ns, if the energy barrier separating the two stable magnetization directions is similar to 32 kT. Such devices can be powered by harvesting energy exclusively from the environment without the need for a battery. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3624900]