Abstract
The overarching research objective of TERAFIT is the breakthrough towards the new-generation IT facilitated by bringing into both scientific and technological development our physical-system concept of IT based on ordered phases of matter that we dub teraferroic. The phases are dubbed teraferroic as they enable to combine non-volatility with entering the THz range (ps time scale), which is prohibitively difficult to achieve with conventional semiconductors and ferromagnets. The three research work packages (WPs) of TERAFIT, focusing respectively on intertwined spatial, temporal and energy downscaling breakthroughs in IT, underline the oriented-research nature of the project towards applications of critical importance for the 21st-century economy and society. The combined research objectives of TERAFIT are: (i) demonstration of spatial scalability down to or below a 10 nm range for man-made non-volatile digital memory bits, and demonstration of multi-level analog cells in which information is coded into atomic-scale self-assembled nanostructures (e.g. domain walls) of separation below 10 nm, (ii) demonstration of (sub)ps writing and reading in both digital and analog memory devices, and (iii) demonstration of low energy dissipation approaching the Landauer meV limit per operation and bit in digital memory devices, and low-dissipation logic-in-memory functionalities in analog spiking neuromorphic devices.
