Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 3.26 Cyclic elements
on the basis of solitons
figure has five states; therefore they can be used in the machines operating with
nonbinary number systems. The configuration shown in figure has ten states and
may be of interest for the systems that perform calculations in the decimal system.
Thus, these elements could be used in nonbinary machines and perform complex
group operations.
In principle, such soliton structures, combined in a traditional fashion, can be
used to construct the elements that perform the functions of Boolean logic and serve
as memory elements.
Pioneering research of Aviram, Ratner, and Carter provoked the study of various
aspects of information processing at the molecular level. Over the next few years a
number of theoretical works were published, suggesting possible ways of using
molecular components. Several interesting experimental studies were performed.
One must admit, however, that they merely demonstrated fairly trivial facts.
Basically it was shown that molecules with a certain structure can switch from
one stable state to another and that these transitions can be recorded. But at the same
time these studies led to a real understanding of the peculiarities of molecular
electronics.
