Spin Dice Based on Orthogonal Spin-Transfer Devices With Planar Polarizer

Abstract

Multi-junctional magnetic tunneling junction spin dice based on orthogonal spin-transfer devices, a new type of true random number (RN) generator (TRNG) is demonstrated in this paper. Orthogonal spin-transfer devices use a planar polarizer to push the free layer with perpendicular anisotropy to metastable state (high-energy state) when power is on. The stochastic precessional switching behavior in ferromagnetic free layer is utilized as the entropy source of the TRNG. Once the power is turned off, anisotropy field and demagnetization field relax the magnetization of free layer from metastable state to one of the two stable states, producing a random bit whose value is solely determined by the stochastic switching behavior. The generation and detection of random bits were summarized under the macrospin picture. RN sequences with high randomness can be produced steadily in the proposed TRNG with a wide operation range of temperature and applied current density. Furthermore, the RN sequences pass the statistical test of NIST SP-800 with an appropriate pass rate without any need of post-procession of data. Ease of design, ultrafast switching as well as high randomness of the bit sequences make the proposed TRNG a competitive device in information security field.