One-step digit-set-restricted modified signed-digit adder using an incoherent correlator based on a shared content-addressable memory

An efficient one-step digit-set-restricted modified signed-digit (MSD) adder based on symbolic substitution is presented. In this technique, carry propagation is avoided by introducing reference digits to restrict the intermediate carry and sum digits to {1,0} and {0,1}, respectively. The proposed technique requires significantly fewer minterms and simplifies system complexity compared to the reported one-step MSD addition techniques. An incoherent correlator based on an optoelectronic shared content-addressable memory processor is suggested to perform the addition operation. In this technique, only one set of minterms needs to be stored, independent of the operand length. (C) 2002 society or Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Holographic memory with correlator based readout

The investigation of an inverted hybrid digital/ optical VanderLugt type correlator based on a holographic memory is reported in this paper. A set of reference templates is stored in a photorefractive crystal (PRC) by angular hologram multiplexing. In the filter plane, a phase-modulating liquid crystal television (LCTV) serves as a phase-only input device. During the recognition process, which is based on the pure phase correlation, the reference templates are correlated sequentially with the input object. This correlator shows high sensitivity to object rotation, sharp correlation peaks, high light efficiency, and is fully shift-invariant in spite of the PRC thickness. The influences of the LCTV on the performance of the system are discussed and experimental results are shown.

NEMS based logic and memory circuits

Carbon nanotube (CNT) based nano electromechanical system (NEMS) were developed to apply to the logic and the memory circuit. The electrical 'on-off' behavior induced by the mechanical movements of CNTs can promise low power consumption in circuit with very low level leakage current. Additionally, the unique vertical structure of nanotubes allows high integration density for devices. © 2012 IEEE.

A printable optical time-temperature integrator based on shape memory in a chiral nematic polymer network

An optical and irreversible temperature sensor (e.g., a time-temperature integrator) is reported based on a mechanically embossed chiral-nematic polymer network. The polymer consists of a chemical and a physical (hydrogen-bonded) network and has a reflection band in the visible wavelength range. The sensors are produced by mechanical embossing at elevated temperatures. A relative large compressive deformation (up to 10%) is obtained inducing a shift to shorter wavelength of the reflection band (>30 nm). After embossing, a temperature sensor is obtained that exhibits an irreversible optical response. A permanent color shift to longer wavelengths (red) is observed upon heating of the polymer material to temperatures above the glass transition temperature. It is illustrated that the observed permanent color shift is related to shape memory in the polymer material. The films can be printed on a foil, thus showing that these sensors are potentially interesting as time-temperature integrators for applications in food and pharmaceutical products. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A nanowire magnetic memory cell based on a periodic magnetic superlattice

We analyse the operation of a semiconductor nanowire-based memory cell. Large changes in the nanowire conductance result when the magnetization of a periodic array of nanoscale magnetic gates, which comprise the other key component of the memory cell, is switched between distinct configurations by an external magnetic field. The resulting conductance change provides the basis for a robust memory effect, which can be implemented in a semiconductor structure compatible with conventional semiconductor integrated circuits.

Photon-storage in optical memory cells based on a semiconductor quantum dot-quantum well hybrid structure

We report a new type of photonic memory cell based on a semiconductor quantum dot (QD)-quantum well (QW) hybrid structure, in which photo-generated excitons can be decomposed into separated electrons and holes, and stored in QW and QDs respectively. Storage and retrieval of photonic signals are verified by time-resolved photoluminescence experiments. A storage time in excess of 100ms has been obtained at a temperature of 10 K while the switching speed reaches the order of ten megahertz.

Realization of write-once-read-many-times memory devices based on poly(N-vinylcarbazole) by thermally annealing

A nonvolatile write-once-read-many-time (WORM-time) memory device based on poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) films was realized by thermally annealing. The device can be fabricated using a simple spin coat method. It was found that the control of PVK film surface morphology by thermally annealing plays an important role in achieving the WORM memory properties. The memory device showed an ON/OFF current ratio as high as 10(4) and the retention time was over 2000 s without degradation.

Origin of negative differential resistance and memory characteristics in organic devices based on tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum

Negative differential resistance (NDR) and memory phenomenon have been realized in current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of indium tin oxide/tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum/aluminum devices. The I-V curves have been divided into three operational regions that are associated with different working regimes of the devices: (i) bistable region, (ii) NDR region, and (iii) monotonic region. The bistable region disappeared after a couple of voltage sweeps from zero to a positive voltage. The bistable nature can be reinstated by applying a suitable negative voltage.

Nonvolatile memory devices based on gold nanoparticle and poly (N-Vinylcarbazole) composite

A rewritable polymer memory device based on gold nanoparticle doped poly (N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), which can be easily fabricated by simple spin coating, has been described. An electrical bistable phenomenon is observed in the current-voltage characteristics of this device, and it is found that the electrical bistability is repeatable by proper writing voltage and erasing voltage. The unique behavior of the devices provides an interesting approach such that doping nanoparticles in polymer can be used to realize high performance nanovolatile polymer memory devices.