Snakes in the Plane: Controllable Gliders in a Nanomagnetic Metamaterial
Journal:
arXiv
Published Date:
May 2, 2025
Abstract
The magnetic metamaterials known as Artificial Spin Ice (ASI) are promising
candidates for neuromorphic computing, composed of vast numbers of interacting
nanomagnets arranged in the plane. Every computing device requires the ability
to transform, transmit and store information. While ASI excel at data
transformation, reliable transmission and storage has proven difficult to
achieve. Here, we take inspiration from the Cellular Automaton (CA), an
abstract computing model reminiscent of ASI. In CAs, information transmission
and storage can be realised by the ``glider'', a simple structure capable of
propagating while maintaining its form. Employing an evolutionary algorithm, we
search for gliders in pinwheel ASI and present the simplest glider discovered:
the ``snake''. Driven by a global field protocol, the snake moves strictly in
one direction, determined by its orientation. We demonstrate the snake, both in
simulation and experimentally, and analyse the mechanism behind its motion. The
snake provides a means of manipulating a magnetic texture in an ASI with
resolution on the order of 100 nm, which could in turn be utilised to precisely
control other magnetic phenomena. The integration of data transmission, storage
and modification into the same magnetic substrate unlocks the potential for
ultra-low power computing devices.
