A team of Russian engineers has discovered a new way to reduce signal loss in magnonic circuits. Researchers from N.G. Chernyshevsky Saratov State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, and Kotelnikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics revealed a parametric model capable of predicting waveguide configurations. By observing and studying the waveguide configurations, researchers can help reduce the risk of signal loss.
Engineers hope their research into magnonic logic will help them to develop alternative circuit elements. These elements would be compatible with current technology, but have some distinct advantages: they consume less power and provide faster signal processors at the same time. Researchers believe that their work on this subject could lead to these circuit elements being incorporated in everyday technology.
Unlike traditional devices, magnonic circuits do not rely on wires to integrate with other components; instead, they use magnetic waveguides. Researchers were initially concerned by the impact the waveguides could potentially have on the signal intensity of a device; they found that a waveguide geometry, if chosen incorrectly, could cause total signal loss. This is due to spin wave interference. Due to the minute size of waveguides, engineers also had to take into account the lateral quantization of the signal.
“We initially aimed to build a model that enables calculating the throughput characteristics of a waveguide before it was actually made. Our expectation was that optimizing the shape of the waveguide would maximize signal transmission efficiency. But our research revealed the effects of interference to be greater than anticipated, with suboptimal parameters sometimes rendering the signal completely lost.”
Sergey Nikitov, head of the Terahertz Spintronics Lab and a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Scientists then made a prototype of the device, which confirmed the theories set forth in their model. Engineers are now working hard to streamline the technology in the hopes that soon it can be incorporated into commercial devices and used across the globe. They will continue to investigate the potential utilities available in magnonic circuits.
