Semiconductor Ising Processor Using Multi-State Spin Memory Cells
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current computer architectures, particularly Neumann-type computers, face challenges in enhancing performance through parallel processing due to difficulties in extracting parallelism from serial instruction strings, and existing devices for computing interaction models like the Ising model require high scalability and complex cooling techniques, limiting their practicality.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with multiple units equipped with memory cells for storing data and interaction coefficients, along with logical circuits that determine the next state of entities based on interaction models, allowing for efficient computation of interaction models using a semiconductor integrated circuit approach.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If Neumann type computer with sequential instruction execution is used, then device complexity is low, but computation speed for interaction models is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The computation system is segmented into multiple independent units (first unit and second unit), each capable of independently computing interaction coefficients between entities. This segmentation enables parallel computation of different interaction terms simultaneously, dramatically increasing computation speed while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple computation units are merged into a unified system that shares common resources (entity value storage, interaction model definitions) while performing parallel computations. The first and second units work together to compute different aspects of the interaction model, combining their results to achieve the final computation goal
2Productivity
If parallel processing by multicoring is implemented, then computation performance is enhanced, but difficulty in extracting parallelism from serial algorithms increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attempting to extract parallelism from traditional serial algorithms, the invention inverts the approach by designing the computation architecture to naturally express parallelism through the interaction model formulation. The computation is structured so that parallel execution emerges from the problem formulation itself rather than requiring complex extraction techniques
Solution Approach 2:
Entity values and interaction model parameters are pre-stored in memory cells before computation begins. This preliminary preparation of data allows the computation units to immediately perform parallel calculations without complex data extraction or transformation steps, simplifying the parallel processing architecture
3Speed
If analog computer or laser-based device is used for Ising model computation, then computation speed is high, but scalability and ease of manufacture deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces analog physical systems (lasers, analog computers) with a digital semiconductor-based system. Memory cells store interaction coefficients digitally, and logical circuits perform computations using standard digital logic operations. This substitution maintains high computation speed while dramatically improving ease of manufacture through compatibility with existing semiconductor fabrication processes
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses multiple value data (ternary or more) stored in memory cells to represent entity states and interaction coefficients, replacing the continuous analog parameters of physical systems with discrete digital parameters. This parameter change enables scalable implementation using standard semiconductor technologies while maintaining the computational capabilities needed for interaction model evaluation
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to realize an example of configuration that approximately represents a state of quantum spin in a semiconductor device where components as a basic configuration unit are arrayed so as to search a ground state of Ising model. There is disclosed a semiconductor device provided with plural units each of which is equipped with a first memory cell that stores a value which represents one spin of the Ising model by three or more states, a second memory cell that stores an interaction coefficient showing interaction from another spin which exerts interaction on the one spin and a logical circuit that determines the next state of the one spin on the basis of a function having a value which represents a state of the other spin and the interaction coefficient as a constant or a variable.