Abstract

We have suggested a novel family of wireless single-electron digital devices, based on the parametric excitation principle. The basic cell is a short array of small conducting islands separated by tunnel barriers with relatively low capacitance and conductance. External rf (clock) field creates conditions for spontaneous breaking of the charge symmetry of the cell. The symmetry may be broken by the signal field provided by the neighboring cell(s). This mode ensures robust operation of the parametron-based logic circuits. Moreover, these devices may be reversible, dissipating energy well below kBT 1n2 per logic operation.