Memory Resistor

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What Does Memory Resistor Mean?

A memory resistor (memristor) is a non-linear passive two-terminal electrical component considered to be the fourth fundamental electrical circuit element, in addition to the original fundamental circuit elements: resistors, capacitors and inductors. Like a resistor, it creates and maintains a safe flow of electrical current across a device, but it can also remember the last charge that was flowing through it. It differs from a regular resistor as it can “remember” charges even when there is no current or voltage present, allowing information storage even when the device is turned off.

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Techopedia Explains Memory Resistor

The memory resistor started as a theory first presented by Dr. Leon Chua in 1971. It is essentially a two-terminal passive circuit that has a non-linear relationship between the electric charge and the magnetic flux linkage. Though memory resistors still follow the fundamental circuit variables of voltage, current and their time integrals, they have a dynamic function with memory and may be described as some function of net charge, which is not found in the other three fundamental circuit elements.

The memristor is also capable of logic functions which can greatly change the current compartmentalized structure of computing, since this allows the creation of devices that are capable of both processing and storing data in the same space. Currently there is no standard memory resistor, instead, each device implements a particular function wherein the integral of voltage determines the integral of current, and vice versa.

Since memristors are still under development, their future is dependent on determining the best material implementation. Currently IBM, Samsung, HRL, Hewlett Packard and numerous other research labs have been showing interest in the titanium dioxide memristor, but there are quite a few other types of memristors being researched as well.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.