Magnetic Logic Gate Based on Polarized Spin Waves

Abstract

Spin wave, the precession of magnetic order in magnetic materials, is a collective excitation that carries spin angular momentum. Similar to the acoustic or optical waves, the spin wave also possesses the polarization degree of freedom. Although such polarization degrees of freedom are frozen in ferromagnets, they are fully unlocked in antiferromagnets or ferrimagnets. Here we introduce the concept of magnetic gating and demonstrate a spin wave analog of the Datta-Das spin transistor in antiferromagnet. Utilizing the interplay between polarized spin wave and the antiferromagnetic domain walls, we propose a universal logic gate of pure magnetic nature, which realizes all Boolean operations in one single magnetic structure. We further construct a full functional 4-bit Arithmetic Logic Unit using only sixteen spin wave universal logic gates, operating in a weaving fashion as a Jacquard loom machine. The spin wave-based architecture proposed here also sets a model for the future energy efficient non-volatile computing, the distributed processing-in-memory computing, and the evolvable neuromorphic computing.