We propose a novel hybrid single-electron device for reprogrammable low-power logic operations, the magnetic single-electron transistor (MSET). The device consists of an aluminium single-electron transistor with a GaMnAs magnetic back-gate. Changing between different logic gate functions is realized by reorienting the magnetic moments of the magnetic layer, which induces a voltage shift on the Coulomb blockade oscillations of the MSET. We show that we can arbitrarily reprogram the function of the device from an n-type SET for in-plane magnetization of the GaMnAs layer to p-type SET for out-of-plane magnetization orientation. Moreover, we demonstrate a set of reprogrammable Boolean gates and its logical complement at the single device level. Finally, we propose two sets of reconfigurable binary gates using combinations of two MSETs in a pull-down network.

Cavendsih Laboratory University of Cambridge Cambridge United Kingdom

Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory Cambridge CB3 0HE United Kingdom

Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory Cambridge CB3 0HE United Kingdom; Institute of Physics The Academy of Science of the Czech Republic v v i Cukrovarnick'a 10 162 53 Praha 6 Czech Republic

Institute of Physics The Academy of Science of the Czech Republic v v i Cukrovarnick'a 10 162 53 Praha 6 Czech Republic

Institute of Physics The Academy of Science of the Czech Republic v v i Cukrovarnick'a 10 162 53 Praha 6 Czech Republic; School of Physics and Astronomy University of Nottingham Nottingham NG7 2RD United Kingdom

School of Physics and Astronomy University of Nottingham Nottingham NG7 2RD United Kingdom

See more in PubMed

Strukov DB, Snider GS, Stewart DR, Williams RS. The missing memristor found. Nature. 2008;453: 80–83. 10.1038/nature06932 PubMed DOI

Joo S, Kim T, Shin SH, Lim JY, Hong J, Song JD, et al. Magnetic-field-controlled reconfigurable semiconductor logic. Nature. 2013;494: 72–76. 10.1038/nature11817 PubMed DOI

Heinzig A, Slesazeck S, Kreupl F, Mikolajick T, Weber WM. Reconfigurable silicon nanowire transistors. Nano Letters. 2012;12: 119–124. 10.1021/nl203094h PubMed DOI

Yu WJ, Kim UJ, Kang BR, Lee IH, Lee EH, Hee Y, et al. Adaptive logic circuits with doping-free ambipolar carbon nanotube transistors. Nano Letters. 2009;9: 1401–1405. 10.1021/nl803066v PubMed DOI

Mol JA, Verduijn J, Levine RD, Remacle F, Rogge S. Integrated logic circuits using single-atom transistors PNAS 2011;108: 13969–13972. PubMed PMC

Kastner MA. The single-electron transistor. Rev Mod Phys. 1992;64: 849–858. 10.1103/RevModPhys.64.849 DOI

Gonzalez-Zalba MF, Heiss D, Podd G, Ferguon AJ. App Phys Lett. 2012;101: 103504 10.1063/1.4750251 DOI

Zhu C, Gu Z, Shang L, Dick RP, Knobel RG. Towards an ultra-low-power architecture using single-electron tunneling transistors. Proceedings of the 44th annual Design Automation Conference. 2007; 312.

Ono K, Shimada H, Ootuka Y. Enhanced magnetic valve effect and magneto-Coulomb oscillations in ferromagnetic single electron transistors. J Phys Soc Japan. 1997;66: 1261 10.1143/JPSJ.66.1261 DOI

Barnas J, Martinek J, Michalek G, Bulka B R, Fert A. Spin effects in ferromagnetic single-electron transistors. Phys Rev B. 2000;62: 12363 10.1103/PhysRevB.62.12363 DOI

Shirakashi J, Takemura Y. Ferromagnetic single-electron transistor with multiple tunnel junctions. J Mag Soc Japan. 2001;25: 783 10.3379/jmsjmag.25.783 DOI

Jalil MBA, Tan SG, Ma MJ. Enhanced magneto-Coulomb effect in asymmetric ferromagnetic single electron transistors. J App Phys. 2009;105: 07C905 10.1063/1.3055271 DOI

Takiguchi M, Shimada H, Mizugaki Y. Correlation between polarity of magnetoresistance ratio and tunnel resistance in ferromagnetic single-electron transistor with superconductive island. J J App Phys. 2014;53: 043101 10.7567/JJAP.53.043101 DOI

Kirchner S, Si Q. Quantum criticality out of equilibrium: Steady state in a magnetic single-electron transistor. Phys Rev Lett. 2009;103: 206401 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.206401 PubMed DOI

Tucker JR. Complementary digital logic based on Coulomb blockade. J App Phys. 1992;72: 4399–4413. 10.1063/1.352206 DOI

Ishikuro H, Hiramoto T. Influence of quantum confinement effects on single electron and single hole transistors. In: Electron Devices Meeting, 1998. IEDM ’98. Technical Digest., International. 1998; 119–122.

Uchida K, Koga J, Ohba R, Toriumi A. Programmable single-electron transistor logic for low-power intelligent Si LSI. In: Solid-State Circuits Conference, 2002. Digest of Technical Papers. ISSCC. 2002 IEEE International. 2002;1: 206–460.

Wunderlich J, Jungwirth T, Irvine AC, Kaestner B, Shick AB, Campion RP, et al. Coulomb blockade anisotropic magnetoresistance and voltage controlled magnetic switching in a ferromagnetic GaMnAs single electron transistor. J Magn Magn Mater. 2007;310: 1883–1888. 10.1016/j.jmmm.2006.10.676 DOI

Dery H, Dalal P, Cywinski L, Sham LJ. Spin-based logic in semiconductors for reconfigurable large-scale circuits. Nature. 2007;447: 573–576. 10.1038/nature05833 PubMed DOI

Hai PN, Sugahara S, Tanaka M. Reconfigurable logic gates using single-electron spin transistors. Japn J Appl Phys. 2007;46: 6579–6585. 10.1143/JJAP.46.6579 DOI

Wunderlich J, Jungwirth T, Kaestner B, Irvine AC, Shick AB, Stone N, et al. Coulomb blockade anisotropic magnetoresistance effect in a (Ga,Mn)As single-electron transistor. Phys Rev Lett. 2006;97: 077201 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.077201 PubMed DOI

Ciccarelli C, Zarbo LP, Irvine AC, Campion RP, Gallagher BL, Wunderlich J, et al. Spin gating electrical current. App Phys Lett. 2012;101: 122411–122414. 10.1063/1.4752013 DOI

Beenakker CWJ. Theory of coulomb-blockade oscillations in the conductance of a quantum dot. Phys Rev B. 1991;44: 1646–1656. 10.1103/PhysRevB.44.1646 PubMed DOI

In-plane rotations between [110] and [1–10] directions were explored leading to Δμ = 46 μeV insufficient for complementary operation.

Klein M, Lansbergen GP, Mol JA, Rogge S, Levine RD, Remacle F. Reconfigurable logic devices on a single dopant atom-operation up to a full adder by using electrical spectroscopy. ChemPhysChem 2009;10: 162–173. 10.1002/cphc.200800568 PubMed DOI

Wang H, Hsu A, Wu J, Kong J, Palacios T. (2010) Graphene-based ambipolar RF mixers. IEEE Elec Dev Lett. 2010;31: 906 10.1109/LED.2010.2052017 DOI

Mizuno Y, Ohya S, Hai PN, Tanaka M. Spin-dependent transport properties in GaMnAs-based spin hot-carrier transistors. Appl Phys Lett. 2007;90: 62505/1–3 10.1063/1.2724771 DOI

Betz AC, Barraud S, Wilmart Q, Placais B, Jehl X, Sanquer M, et al. High frequency characterisation of thermionic charge transport in silicon-on-insulator nanowire transistors. App Phys Lett 2014;104: 043106 10.1063/1.4863538 DOI