Micro-electromechanical memory bit based on magnetic repulsion

A bistable micro-mechanical system based on magnetic repulsion is presented exploring its applicability as memory unit where the state of the bit is encoded in the rest position of a deflected cantilever. The non-linearity induced on the cantilever can be tuned through the magnetic interaction intensity between the cantilever magnet and the counter magnet in terms of geometrical parameters. A simple model provides a sound prediction of the behavior of the system. Finally, we measured the energy required to store a bit of information on the system that, for the considered protocols, is bounded by the energy barrier separating the two stable states.