New Concept in Large-Size Memory Arrays—the Twistor
Abstract
Three methods have been developed for storing information in a coincident-current manner on magnetic wire. The resulting memory cells have been collectively named the ``twistor''. Two of these methods utilize the strain sensitivity of magnetic materials and are based on the century old Wertheim or Wiedemann effects; the third utilizes the favorable geometry of a wire.
The effect of an applied torsion on a magnetic wire is to shift the preferred direction of magnetization into a helical path inclined at an angle of 45° with respect to the axis. The coincidence of a circular and a longitudinal magnetic field inserts information into this wire in the form of a polarized helical magnetization. In addition, the magnetic wire itself may be used as a sensing means with resultant favorable increase in available signal since the lines of flux wrap the magnetic wire many times. An experimental transistor-driven 320 bit twistor array has been built. The possibility of applying weaving techniques to future arrays makes the twistor approach appear economically attractive.- Publication:
-
Journal of Applied Physics
- Pub Date:
- March 1958
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.1723190
- Bibcode:
- 1958JAP....29..485B