A Probabilistic Finite State Logic Machine Realized Experimentally on a Single Dopant Atom

Barbara Fresch, Juanita Bocquel, Sven Rogge, R. D. Levine, F. Remacle*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Exploiting the potential of nanoscale devices for logic processing requires the implementation of computing functionalities departing from the conventional switching paradigm. We report on the design and the experimental realization of a probabilistic finite state machine in a single phosphorus donor atom placed in a silicon matrix electrically addressed and probed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). The single atom logic unit simulates the flow of visitors in a maze whose topology is determined by the dynamics of the electronic transport through the states of the dopant. By considering the simplest case of a unique charge state for which three electronic states can be resolved, we demonstrate an efficient solution of the following problem: in a maze of four connected rooms, what is the optimal combination of door opening rates in order to maximize the time that visitors spend in one specific chamber? The implementation takes advantage of the stochastic nature of electron tunneling, while the output remains the macroscopic current whose reading can be realized with standard techniques and does not require single electron sensitivity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1846-1852
Number of pages7
JournalNano Letters
Volume17
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 8 Mar 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Chemical Society.

Keywords

  • finite state machine
  • probabilistic logic
  • scanning tunneling spectroscopy
  • single atom transistor
  • Single electron device
  • unconventional computing

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