Abstract:

A generic abstraction for a binary switch is described and related to the operational properties of two physical implementations: charge and spin. For a system at equilibrium with thermal environment, an energy barrier is needed to separate two distinguishable states. We utilize the fundamental concept of the energy barrier to study limiting characteristics of these two classes of binary switch. Some of the technical challenges that must be overcome if spin-based binary switches are to find widespread application are discussed.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1166/jno.2006.004