The Center for E³S welcomes Professor Sakhrat Khizroev, ECE Department, Florida International University, and Professor Vladimir Stojanovic, EECS Department, UC Berkeley. Their research is directed towards the use of nanomagnetics for ultra-low energy switching. Professor Khizroev’s research focuses on understanding the physics of spin switching in spin-transfer-torque magnetic nanoscale devices, while Professor Stojanovic is exploring applications and circuit architectures that can use devices with low on/off ratios.

The use of nanomagnetics offers the potential to have logic devices operating at the fundamental energy limit for switching. Professor Jeffrey Bokor of UC Berkeley, Deputy Director of the Center and Leader of the Nanomagnetics Theme, explained: “The fundamental energy limit for switching between the two logic states, 0 and 1, in computing was theoretically predicted in the 1960’s, but it is only recently that the Center for E³S experimentally verified this theoretical prediction for the first time. However, there are still many fundamental scientific and engineering challenges to overcome before the potential of nanomagnetic logic devices switching close to the fundamental limit can be realized.”

Professor Eli Yablonovitch of UC Berkeley, Director of the Center, shared: “The research of Professor Khizroev and Professor Stojanovic complements the exciting nanomagnetics research already underway in the Center. The research of Professor Bokor focuses on ultrafast switching of nanomagnetics, while Professor Sayeef Salahuddin, also UC Berkeley, is investigating the benefit of spin-Hall-Effect-induced switching. The four research groups are working together addressing the different attributes that an ultra-low energy switch must satisfy.”

– For more information about Florida International University, visit ece.fiu.edu.