An architecture for computing includes nanometer scale crossbar switches configured to perform a logical function in response to a sequence of pulses that encode logic values in the nanometer scale crossbar switches as impedances.

A reconfigurable architecture is based on chemically-assembled electronic nanotechnology (CAEN). A molecular latch based on molecular resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) provides I/O-isolation, voltage restoration, and high fan-out. Moreover, a nanoblock based on CAEN has been used to implement a AND, OR, XOR gate to achieve computational objectives.

We sketch a basic architecture for molecular electronics based on carbon nanotubes and silicon nanowires which can provide universal logic functionality with all logic and signal restoration operating at the molecular scale. The key properties of this architecture are its minimalism, defect tolerance, and compatibility with emerging, bottom-up, nanoscale fabrication techniques.

A crossbar memory unit with crosspoints programmable to low and high conductive states such that the crossbar array stores a bit pattern is disclosed.

The reference describes a bottom-up approach in which functional device elements and element arrays have been assembled from solution through the use of electronically well-defined semiconductor nanowire building blocks (or crossbars). Further the reference describes that nanowire junction arrays (crossbars) have been configured as key OR, AND, and NOR logic-gate structures with substantial gain and have been used to implement basic computations.

The US granted patent describes an optical crossbar arithmetic/logic technique for logic and arithmetic operations.