Programmable spintronic logic devices for reconfigurable computation and beyond - History and outlook

Non-volatile and programmable logic devices are desirable for future reconfigurable computer on chip. Spintronic logic devices, which use both electron spin and charge, can satisfy these requirements. Moreover, small device size, low power consumption, fast switching speed and programmable "on the fly" make it the most promising candidate for the next generation logic devices. First, this paper reviews the different types of spintronic logic devices. Secondly, we review the proposal and experimental demonstration of the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and giant magnetoresistance element (GMR) based logic devices with the focus on the development of single MTJ logic device with programmable functions and a MTJ-based full-adder logic circuit. Thirdly, a new generation of spintronic logic devices based on spin torque transfer switching mechanism (or so-called current-induced-magnetization switching) is introduced. The last part gives an outlook of future prospective of spintronic logic devices and challenges.