Research

Novel Devices for Memory, Data Storage & High-Performance Computing: We work on innovative materials and nano-devices which go far beyond existing ones in energy efficiency, speed, and integration density. In particular, here we use materials and devices that couple electrons' spin and charge properties, also called spintronic devices. Our goal is to beat today's performance, energy, and scaling limits of data storage, memory, and computing devices, each by 100x. For example, can we build memories that simultaneously operate at pico-Second read/write, atto-Joule per bit operation, and at few-nanometer scales? This work involves new materials development, understanding of physics of thin films and interfaces, and their consequent electrical and magnetic behavior.
- Read more:
  - P. Khalili, K.L. Wang, "The computer chip that never forgets", IEEE Spectrum, 52, 30-56 (2015)
  - C. Grezes, P. Khalili, K.L. Wang et al., "Ultra-low switching energy and scaling in electric-field-controlled nanoscale magnetic tunnel junctions with high resistance-area product", Applied Physics Letters, 108, 012403 (2016)
  - G. Yu, P. Khalili Amiri, K.L. Wang et al., "Switching of perpendicular magnetization by spin–orbit torques in the absence of external magnetic fields", Nature Nanotechnology, 9, 548 (2014)
High-Frequency, Communications, and Sensing Devices: We are also interested in using spintronic effects to build microwave, radio-frequency, and sensing devices. Examples are record-small electronic oscillators using spin-torque, and record-sensitive detectors of microwave radiation, also enabled by spintronic effects.
- Read more:
  - B. Fang, P. Khalili Amiri, G. Finocchio, Z. Zeng et al., “Giant spin-torque diode sensitivity in the absence of bias magnetic field”, Nature Communications, 7, 11259 (2016)
  - Z.M. Zeng, G. Finocchio, P. Khalili Amiri et al., "Ultralow-current-density and bias-field-free spin-transfer nano-oscillator", Scientific Reports, 3, 1426/1-5 (2013)
New Circuits & Architectures enabled by emerging Nano-devices : Here we focus on using the new devices which we develop, in novel architectures for computing systems, and to realize circuits/architectures where new intelligent functionalities emerge from the physics. We work closely with industry and interact across disciplines, to understand the requirements and develop the needed hardware, tools and ecosystems to translate device/circuit-level advances into applications.
- Read more:
  - H. Lee, A. Lee, F. Ebrahimi, P. Khalili, K.L. Wang, “Array-Level Analysis of Magnetoelectric Random Access Memory (MeRAM) for High-Performance Embedded Applications”, IEEE Magnetics Letters, in press (2017)