Abstract
Computer technologies have advanced unimaginably over the last 70 years, mainly due to scaling of electrical components down to the nanometre regime and their consequential increase in density, speed and performance. Decrease in dimensions also brings about many unwanted side effects, such as increased leakage, heat dissipation and increased cost of production [1], [2]. However, it seems that one of the biggest factors limiting further progress in high-performance computing is the increasing difference in performance between processors and memory units, a so called processor-memory gap [3]. To increase the efficiency of memory devices, emerging alternative non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies could be introduced, promising high operational speed, low power consumption and high density [4]. This review focuses on a conceptually unique non-volatile Charge Configuration Memory (CCM) device, which is based on resistive switching between different electronic states in a 1T-TaS 2 crystal [5]. CCM demonstrates ultrafast switching speed <16 ps, very low switching energy (2.2 fJ/bit), very good endurance [6] and a straightforward design. It operates at cryogenic temperatures, which makes it ideal for integration into emerging cryo-computing [7] and other high-performance computing systems such as superconducting quantum computers.
Highlights
Advances in computer technologies were made possible due to enormous investments of money, time and man-power into research and development of silicon semiconductor technology, which has been very successful with the constant upgrades despite all the problems it has been facing [1], [2]
Charge Configuration Memory (CCM) devices show ultrafast (16 ps FWHM) [17], energy efficient operation (2.2 fJ/bit) [17], non-volatility at cryogenic temperatures [22] and very good endurance (>106 cycles) [17], which is very important for electronic applications
The basic memory operation is provided through electronic switching between two distinct resistance states (HI and low resistance state (LO)), but intermediate states are available, potentially allowing one CCM element to be used as a multibit device [16], [26]
Summary
Advances in computer technologies were made possible due to enormous investments of money, time and man-power into research and development of silicon semiconductor technology, which has been very successful with the constant upgrades despite all the problems it has been facing [1], [2]. Charge configuration memory (CCM) devices presented here rely on reconfiguration of electronic domains between the ground state and excited metastable hidden (H) state that was recently discovered in a layered transition metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaS2 crystal [8]. This review briefly explains the origin of the emergent metastable H state in 1T-TaS2 and discusses its properties in the content of a novel non-volatile memory device based on reconfiguration of charge It undergoes a phase transition into an incommensurate (IC) CDW due to a combination of Coulomb repulsion [12] and Fermi surface nesting [13]. If the C state is excited by either an optical [8] or an electrical [16] pulse, the material switches to a metastable hidden (H) state, which is stable at low temperatures (
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
