SHF: Small: Reconfigurability and Technology Integration of Magnetic Energy Minimization Co-Processor (MEMCoP)

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

This collaborative proposal been two universities - USF and UCLA - advocates a new form of computing that uses circular nanomagnets to solve quadratic optimization problems, orders of magnitude faster than that of a conventional computer. A wide range of application domains can be potentially accelerated through this research, e.g., computationally expensive and hard to parallelize problems of finding patterns in social media, error-correcting codes, big data applications etc. The project plans to engage undergraduate REU students, and the PIs will be involved with the local community through interaction with K-12 teachers and K7-K8 women students. As a part of Sloan University Center for Exemplary Mentoring (UCEM), the lead PI will recruit and retain undergraduate students. The UCLA team will work with a group of undergraduate students sponsored by Center for Excellence in Engineering and Diversity (CEED). Core computational theme of this proposal is mapping quadratic energy minimization problem spaces into a set of interacting magnets such that the energy relationship between the problem variables is proportional to that of the energies between the corresponding magnets. The optimization is accomplished by the relaxation physics of the magnets themselves and solutions can be read-out in parallel. In essence, given a specific instance of the problem, the plan is to arrive at a specific magnetic layout, the relaxed state of which will be the solution of the original problem. Reconfigurability is fundamental to the success of this form of high-payoff computing (one does not intend to fabricate a specific magnetic layout to solve one instance of a problem). Three alternative programming solutions are proposed, and trade-offs between the mechanisms will be evaluated. The project also plans to explore reconfigurability together with readability and system integration aspects.