The authors show how to implement a 4-state universal logic gate (NOR) using three strain-coupled magnetostrictive-piezoelectric multiferroic nanomagnets (e.g. Ni/PZT) with biaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Two of the nanomagnets encode the 2-state input bits in their magnetization orientations and the third nanomagnet produces the output bit via dipole interaction with the input nanomagnets. A voltage pulse alternating between -0.2 V and +0.2 V is applied to the PZT layer of the third nanomagnet and generates alternating tensile and compressive stress in its Ni layer to produce the output bit, while dissipating ~ 57,000 kT (0.24 fJ) of energy per gate operation.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1101.0980,
title = {Four-state nanomagnetic logic using multiferroics},
author = {Noel D'Souza and Jayasimha Atulasimha and Supriyo Bandyopadhyay},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1101.0980},
year = {2012}
}