MULTI-STATE MEMORY AND MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DEVICES COMPRISING MAGNETOPLASTIC OR MAGNETOELASTIC MATERIALS
First Claim
1. A logic or memory device comprising a magnetoplastic and/or magnetoelastic material having at least six states selected from the group consisting of magnetic states, crystallographic states, and shape states.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable writing data on, and reading data of, multi-state elements having greater than two states. The elements may be made of magnetoplastic and/or magnetoelastic materials, including, for example, magnetic shape-memory alloy or other materials that couple magnetic and crystallographic states. The writing process is preferably conducted through the application of a magnetic field and/or a mechanical action. The reading process is preferably conducted through atomic-force microscopy, magnetic-force microscopy, spin-polarized electrons, magneto-optical Kerr effect, optical interferometry or other methods, or other methods/effects. The multifunctionality (crystallographic, magnetic, and shape states each representing a functionality) of the multi-state elements allows for simultaneous operations including read&write, sense&indicate, and sense&control. Embodiments of the invention may be used, for example, for storing, modifying, and accessing data for device, sensor, actuator, logic and memory applications. Embodiments may be particularly effective for non-volatile memory or other read&write, sense&indicate, and/or sense&control functions in computer or other applications; such simultaneous operation of two (or more) of said multiple functionalities open new pathways for miniaturization of devices.
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Citations
30 Claims
- 1. A logic or memory device comprising a magnetoplastic and/or magnetoelastic material having at least six states selected from the group consisting of magnetic states, crystallographic states, and shape states.
- 13. A sensor, actuator, logic or memory device comprising a non-cubic crystal having multiple crystallographic states, and wherein said device comprises means for controlling, and means for detecting, said multiple crystallographic states.
- 26. A logic or memory device comprising a magnetoplastic and/or magnetoelastic material having at least six states selected from the group consisting of magnetic states, crystallographic states, and shape states, and wherein two different states selected from said at least six states are simultaneously used as operators selected from the group consisting of read and write operators, sense and indicate operators, and sense and control operators.
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28. A method comprising writing data on an element and reading the data, the element comprising a magnetoplastic and/or magnetoelastic material having at least six states selected from the group consisting of magnetic states, crystallographic states, and shape states, wherein said writing comprises a step selected from the group consisting of applying a magnetic field change and applying a mechanical force to said material, and said reading the data comprises a step selected from the group consisting of atomic-force microscopy, magnetic-force microscopy, spin-polarized electrons, magneto-optical Kerr effect, and optical interferometry.
- 29. A method of providing logic or memory comprising displacing twin boundaries of a magnetoplastic and/or magnetoelastic material and detecting the displacement of said twin boundaries, said displacing comprising a step selected from the group consisting of applying a magnetic field change and applying a mechanical force to said material, and said detecting comprising a step selected from the group consisting of atomic-force microscopy, magnetic-force microscopy, spin-polarized electrons, magneto-optical Kerr effect, and optical interferometry, the method further comprising using said displacing and detecting for operations selected from the group consisting of reading and writing, sensing and indicating operators, and sensing and controlling.
Specification