The memristor

 Nimage 7991 Memristor

Purported to be the fourth major electronic component, HP is introducing the memristor -

The new component is called the "memristor" -- a word blend of "memory" and "resistor". The physical working model and the mathematical model of the component were presented side by side in a paper in the journal Nature, yesterday. Four researchers at the lab, led by R. Stanley Williams, presented the device which retains the history of information passed to it.

The device could make for computers that need no boot-up, never forget, use less power, and associate memories much like the human mind. Such possibilities were long considered the realm of science fiction. The realization of the device was 37 years in the making, and many had come to think it would never be created.

Will we be stocking these along with standard resistors and capacitors? Hrrmm, time will tell. - HP invents fabled memristor [Thanks, Kyle!]



Related:

Recent Entries

Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: Ushanka on May 2, 2008 at 11:43 AM

Why are there no comments on this post? This has to be one of the more significant EE developments in recent years. HP just created a flux capacitor!


Posted by: hojo on May 2, 2008 at 2:08 PM

To be fair...

... I haven't read the Nature article yet, but based on the page from the link, I am gonna say, "what a bunch of hype."


Posted by: Angik Sarkar on May 5, 2008 at 12:01 PM

The HP people have not discovered a memristor, a simple laboratory observation has been hyped up..if what they have fabricated can be claimed as a memristor, a school can do one with capacitors..


Posted by: Anonymous on May 5, 2008 at 3:48 PM

I've looked over the nature paper.

What it ignores is that charge distribution changes over nanometers, as a result of an applied electric field and ionic mobility, can change as a result of random diffusion and that same ionic mobility. Thus the "memristors" can lose their memories, especially as temperature rises.

Alzheimristors!


Leave a comment


Subscribe to MAKE!Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now

How-to videos for Makers and Crafers!


Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out. Make: The risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things... Welcome to Make: Online!


CRAFT Maker Shed Maker Faire MAKE television
MAKE: en EspaƱol MAKE: Japan

Make: television
Make: television is here! Visit makezine.tv or iTunes to see all the episodes.

Connect with MAKE

Be a MAKE fan on Facebook MAKE on Facebook
Visit our Facebook page and become a fan of MAKE!
MAKE on Twitter MAKE on Twitter
Follow our MAKE tweets!
MAKE Flickr Pool MAKE on Flickr
Join our MAKE Flickr Pool!
    make_tips on Twitter

    MAKE's RSS feed is here.
    Add MAKE to iGoogle - GoogleGoogle.
    How to add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
    Add MAKE on FriendFeed


    Advertise here with FM.

    Why advertise on MAKE?
    Read what folks are saying about us!

    Click here to advertise on MAKE!

    MAKE wins Treehugger Best of Green Award

    MAKE wins Brit Insurance Design Award

    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Make: Online authors!

    Gareth Branwyn, Chris Connors (guest author), Collin Cunningham, Marc de Vinck, Peter Horvath (intern), Kip Kay, Goli Mohammadi, John Park, Sean Ragan, Becky Stern, Phillip Torrone

    Suggest a Site!

    Current Podcast

    itunesdl.gif Weekend Project: Fire Piston Make your own fire starter that uses compressed air and burns at 500 degrees! Thanks to Bill Gurstelle for showing us this at Maker Faire. To download The Fire Piston MP4 click here or subscribe in iTunes. Pick up... More...

    Get the Make: Online sent via email
    Enter your email to receive Make: Online each day:






    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Recent Posts from the Craft: Blog