Programmable ferromagnet-semiconductor logic devices

The scopes for creating new programmable logic magnetoelectronics-based elements were reviewed. The functions of programmable logic were shown to be realizable by the Hall elements, spin-gate and spin-tunneling magnetoresistance elements, and magnetic nanodots combined with relatively simple semiconductor circuits. By means of magnetic programming of the basic logic functions, they can be realized like programmable logic constructions using magnetic devices as nonvolatile programmable elements or like matrices of universal logic elements. Ability to save program information and input data and to convert in one cycle the set of logic configurations are the main advantages of the discussed magnetic and ferromagnet-semiconductor logic devices.