A fast magnetoelectric device based on current-driven domain wall propagation

Several emerging spintronic devices have recently been proposed, performing computation by (a) generating spin currents based on input magnet states to switch an output magnet state using Spin-Transfer Torque (STT) [1,2], (b) using multiple nanopillars to drive a domain wall (DW) that switches an output nanopillar using STT [7], and (c) using magnetoelectric (ME) switching at the input, combined with DW automotion, to switch an output state [3]. All of these devices have delays of several nanoseconds. The energy for (a) and (b) is in the range of femtoJoules, while the ME mechanism in (c) facilitates greater energy-efficiency, in the aJ range. These numbers fall some distance away from CMOS, where gate delays and switching energies are in the range of picoseconds (ps) and attoJoules (aJ), respectively.