Nanomagnetic Logic: From Devices to Systems

A digital computing system with ferromagnets as switches, magnetic stray fieds for computation, and domain walls for information transport — is it a curios- ity or ready for ultra-large-scale-integration? Over the last decade, starting from sub-micrometer sized Nanomagnets comprised of Co/Pt multilayers, a functionally complete set of logic gates and memory elements were experimentally demonstrated as a potential co-processing unit for CMOS microprocessors called perpendicular Nanomagnetic Logic (pNML). From the beginning of this endeavor, not only sin- gle devices but investigations of complex circuits like full-adders and multiplexers finally culminated in an EDA tool called ToPoliNano. It offers a complete design flow for system-level exploration of field coupled technologies, including pNML. In particular, its layout editor MagCAD provides the possibility to design, simulate and re-use pNML modules in larger architectures. The underlying compact models are continuously adapted to newest developments in pNML technology, e.g. improve- ments in materials, device design and exploitation of novel physical effects. With that, efficient and reliable benchmarking against CMOS implementations is possible, and important system level aspects are directly fed back to the technology and device engineers.