Carbon Nanotubes and MoS2: A New Twist on Ternary Circuits

A world where computers process more data using simpler systems. That's the promise of multivalued logic (MVL) systems, which go beyond the usual binary logic. Scientists have been trying to make these systems work better using negative transconductance (NTC) devices made from thin semiconductors. But there's a problem: these devices don't work great in real-life circuits because their output doesn't swing as much, and the logic states aren't clear. Now, researchers have found a way to fix this using carbon nanotubes and a material called MoS2. They made tiny switches, called ternary inverters, that can swing almost all the way from one end to the other (like a pendulum) and have three clear logic states. They did this by printing carbon nanotubes onto MoS2 layers using a method called inkjet printing, which is easy to scale up. These switches work by adjusting the width of the NTC region, which allows for a stable middle logic state over a wide range of input voltages. This is a big step forward for making MVL systems work well in real-life circuits.