A thermodynamic core using voltage-controlled spin-orbit-torque magnetic tunnel junctions

Nanotechnology. 2021 Oct 11;32(50). doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/abeb9b.

Abstract

We present a magnetic implementation of a thermodynamic computing fabric. Magnetic devices within computing cores harness thermodynamics through its voltage-controlled thermal stability; while the evolution of network states is guided by the spin-orbit-torque effect. We theoretically derive the dynamics of the cores and show that the computing fabric can successfully compute ground states of a Boltzmann Machine. Subsequently, we demonstrate the physical realization of these devices based on a CoFeB-MgO magnetic tunnel junction structure. The results of this work pave the path towards the realization of highly efficient, high-performance thermodynamic computing hardware. Finally, this paper will also give a perspective of computing beyond thermodynamic computing.

Keywords: Boltzmann machine; magnetic tunnel junction; thermodynamic computing.