Memristors for Advanced Computation and Memory Applications

Memristors, as the fourth passive circuit element, are considered a disruptive technology that can revolutionize the fields of both memory and computation. Their intrinsic nonvolatility, a tiny space footprint, and the possibility to preserve resistive states according to the history of applied electrical excitations make the memristors ideal candidates for future high-density, low-power memories. As a component of resistive random-access memory (ReRAM), a memristor outperforms state-of-the-art memory devices in terms of speed, energy efficiency, and robustness. Memristors enable novel computing methodologies that transcend traditional Von Neumann architectures. The ability to store and compute together renders these devices central to in-memory computing solutions, which are capable of drastically reducing data movement and latency while increasing energy efficiency. A memristor crossbar array can directly carry out matrix–vector multiplication, a key operation for both AI and signal processing, in-memory, providing hardware acceleration for machine learning tasks. Moreover, their programmable resistance states enable the realization of logic-in-memory operations, leading to reconfigurable and parallel logic computation at the hardware level.