This invention is a hardware Ising machine that uses a micro-coil array and magnetic nanoparticles acting as binary spins. The micro-coils apply magnetic fields to program the spins of the magnetic nanoparticles and then act as sensors that measure the induced spins. When the magnetic nanoparticles interact through dipole-dipole interactions, they provide the coupling terms of an Ising Hamiltonian to solve optimization problems. Background: Ising machines are hardware platforms that solve complex optimization problems by mapping them onto spin systems that naturally move towards lower energy states. Earlier versions of these machines focused on using optical or electronic oscillators, but emerging methods are implementing magnetic approaches because of their widely studied properties regarding spin dynamics and magnetization stability. Similarly, magnetic nanoparticles have been widely studied for their tunable properties and ability to interact with each other. Combining Ising architectures and nanoparticle systems could lead to novel, energy-efficient computing devices capable of solving complex reconfigurable optimization problems. Applications:
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