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Logic implementations using a single nanoparticle–protein hybrid

Nature Nanotechnology volume 5, pages 451–457 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

A Set–Reset machine is the simplest logic circuit with a built-in memory. Its output is a (nonlinear) function of the input and of the state stored in the machine's memory. Here, we report a nanoscale Set–Reset machine operating at room temperature that is based on a 5-nm silicon nanoparticle attached to the inner pore of a stable circular protein. The nanoparticle–protein hybrid can also function as a balanced ternary multiplier. Conductive atomic force microscopy is used to implement the logic input and output operations, and the processing of the logic Set and Reset operations relies on the finite capacitance of the nanoparticle provided by the good electrical isolation given by the protein, thus enabling stability of the logic device states. We show that the machine can be cycled, such that in every successive cycle, the previous state in the memory is retained as the present state. The energy cost of one cycle of computation is minimized to the cost of charging this state.

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Figure 1: Hybrids, charging schematic and images of electrostatic implementation using EFM.
Figure 2: Set–Reset implementation.
Figure 3: Stability of the charged states.
Figure 4: Balanced ternary logic truth table as a set of EFM images.
Figure 5: Two-digit balanced ternary logic multiplication using two hybrids.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank I. Brodsky for helpful discussions and for technical assistance, M. Gottlieb for flat gold surfaces preparation and E. Zehavy for graphic assistance. We acknowledge financial support from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant ‘Single Molecule based Ultra High Density Memory’ CU 44/3-2 and the French Ministry of External Affairs, the Israeli–Palestinian Science Organization (IPSO) and Friends of IPSO, USA (with funds donated by the Meyer Foundation), the James Franck Program and in part by a grant from the BIOMEDNANO STREP-project of the European Community. The work of M.K., F.R. and R.D.L. is partially supported by the FP7 EC FET NANO-ICT project Molecular Logic Circuits. F.R. is a Director of Research, Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Belgium.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Chemistry and Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel

    Izhar Medalsy & Danny Porath

  2. The Fritz Haber Research Center for Molecular Dynamics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel

    Michael Klein & R. D. Levine

  3. The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel

    Arnon Heyman & Oded Shoseyov

  4. Département de Chimie, B6c, Université de Liège, Liège, B4000, Belgium

    F. Remacle

Authors
  1. Izhar Medalsy
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  2. Michael Klein
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  4. Oded Shoseyov
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  5. F. Remacle
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  6. R. D. Levine
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  7. Danny Porath
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Contributions

I.M. prepared the samples, carried out the AFM measurements and analysed the data, supervised by D.P. A.H. synthesized and characterized the SP1 proteins and the protein–nanoparticle hybrids, supervised by O.S. M.K., F.R. and R.D.L. conceived the application to ternary logic and to finite state logic, provided guidance for the logic implementations in the measurements and performed the theoretical calculations. D.P. and O.S. initiated, designed and led the SP1 protein–nanoparticle hybrids project towards memory and logic implementation. I.M., F.R., R.D.L. and D.P. wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to Danny Porath.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Medalsy, I., Klein, M., Heyman, A. et al. Logic implementations using a single nanoparticle–protein hybrid. Nature Nanotech 5, 451–457 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2010.62

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