Acoustically driven single-frequency mechanical logic

Nanomechanical computers promise robust, low-energy information processing, but generally require electronics to handle bits with different oscillation frequencies, limiting scalability. The authors present an acoustically driven logic gate with a single frequency of operation, with the logic states defined by a nonlinear mechanical resonator, allowing purely mechanical information transfer. Since inputs and output all share the same frequency, they are compatible with cascaded chains of gates. This architecture is CMOS-compatible, and with miniaturization could permit energy efficiency approaching the fundamental Landauer limit.