Abstract
The binary switch is a basic component of digital information. From phase-change alloys to nanomechanical beams, molecules and atoms, new strategies for controlled bistability hold great interest for emerging technologies. We present a generic methodology for precise and parallel spatiotemporal control of nanometre-scale matter in a fluid, and demonstrate the ability to attain digital functionalities such as switching, gating and data storage in a single colloid, with further implications for signal amplification and logic operations. This fluid-phase bit can be arrayed at high densities, manipulated by either electrical or optical fields, supports low-energy, high-speed operation and marks a first step toward ‘colloidal information’. The principle generalizes to any system where spatial perturbation of a particle elicits a differential response amenable to readout.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge financial support from the Swiss National Science Foundation and the University of Zurich. Nanofabrication was carried out at the FIRST Center for Micro- and Nanoscience, ETH Zurich.
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C.J.M. and M.C. performed the experiments and analysed the data. M.K. conceived the project, designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript.
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Myers, C., Celebrano, M. & Krishnan, M. Information storage and retrieval in a single levitating colloidal particle. Nature Nanotech 10, 886–891 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2015.173
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2015.173
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