Nematic bits and universal logic gates

Abstract

Liquid crystals (LCs) can host robust topological defect structures that essentially determine their optical and elastic properties. Although recent experimental progress enables precise control over nematic LC defects, their practical potential for information storage and processing has yet to be explored. Here, we introduce the concept of nematic bits (nbits) by exploiting a quaternionic mapping from LC defects to the Poincaré-Bloch sphere. Through theory and simulations, we demonstrate how single-nbit operations can be implemented using electric fields, to construct LC analogs of Pauli, Hadamard, and other elementary logic gates. Using nematoelastic interactions, we show how four-nbit configurations can realize universal classical NOR and NAND gates. Last, we demonstrate the implementation of generalized logical functions that take values on the Poincaré-Bloch sphere. These results open a route toward the implementation of classical digital and nonclassical continuous computation strategies in topological soft matter systems.

Keywords

tekoči kristali;nematski biti;logična vrata;liquid crystals;nematic bits;logic gates;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2022
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UL FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
UDC:	538.9
COBISS:	119595779
ISSN:	2375-2548
Views:	87
Downloads:	27
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary keywords:	tekoči kristali;nematski biti;logična vrata;
Type (COBISS):	Article
Pages:	10 str.
Volume:	ǂVol. ǂ8
Issue:	ǂart. no. ǂeabp8371
Chronology:	Aug. 2022
DOI:	10.1126/sciadv.abp8371
ID:	18659462