The Missing Memristor? (broadcast Friday, May 9th, 2008)

Image demonstrating a crossbar structure of memristors in which the individual wires are 30 nanometers wide. There is a memristor between each of the crossed wires in this structure. image courtesy Dmitri Strukov

Introductory classes in electronics are big on circuit diagrams involving different combinations of resistors, capacitors and inductors. Now, researchers say that they have discovered a fourth fundamental passive circuit element, one that complements those well-known three and fills in a gap in the basic equations that describe the relationships between voltage, current, and magnetic flux. The possibility of such a circuit element, known as the ‘memristor,’ was first described in 1971, but until now no one has found a device with the properties of that missing element. A group of scientists at HP Labs found that in nanoscale materials, however, the 'memristance' property becomes easier to see.

The find could lead to lower power, instant-on computers, as well as novel types of circuitry. We'll talk with one of the discoverers of the modern memristor about the find and its potential applications. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.