Logic circuit

1. A logic circuit, comprising:

a two-terminal bistable switching element that has characteristics such that a state having a first resistance value is entered when a voltage equal to or less than a first threshold voltage is applied, and a state having a second resistance value different from the first resistance value is entered when a voltage equal to or greater than a second threshold voltage which is greater than the first threshold voltage, is applied, and that has characteristics which maintain each of the states when no voltage is applied;

a first switching element, one end of which is connected to one of the terminals of the two-terminal bistable switching element;

a second switching element, one end of which is connected, via a resistor element, to the other terminal of the two-terminal bistable switching element; and

first and second pulse input terminals, respectively connected to the one terminal and the other terminal of the two-terminal bistable switching element;

wherein when a bias voltage is applied across the other end of the first switching element and the other end of the second switching element, and a trigger pulse is input from the first and second pulse input terminals.

2. The logic circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising third and fourth switching elements, respectively connected to the one terminal and the other terminal of the two-terminal bistable switching element, and characterized in that, when a trigger pulse is input from the second pulse input terminal, the third switching element operates so as to lower the impedance at the one terminal of the two-terminal bistable switching element, and when a trigger pulse is input from the first pulse input terminal, the fourth switching element operates so as to lower the impedance at the other terminal of the two-terminal bistable switching element.

3. The logic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the two-terminal bistable switching element is a spin-valve element having at least an insulating layer or a nonmagnetic layer, and a pair of ferromagnetic layers having different coercivities and provided so as to sandwich the insulating layer or nonmagnetic layer.

4. The logic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the two-terminal bistable switching element is a bistable resistance element having an insulating thin film and a pair of electrodes provided so as to sandwich the insulating thin film.

5. The logic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the two-terminal bistable switching element is an atomic switch that is configured to control, by applying an electric field to a minute gap between a solid electrolytic electrode and a metal electrode, the formation and annihilation of metal clusters in the gap, and to perform electrical on/off switching across the solid electrolyte electrode and the metal electrode by means of this control.

6. The logic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second pulse input terminals are each connected via a rectifying element.

7. A logic circuit, comprising:

first and second two-terminal bistable switching elements, that have characteristics such that a state having a first resistance value is entered when a voltage equal to or less than a first threshold voltage is applied, and a state having a second resistance value different from the first resistance value is entered when a voltage equal to or greater than a second threshold voltage which is greater than the first threshold voltage is applied, that have characteristics which maintain each of the states when no voltage is applied, and that are connected in series with polarities matching;

first and second switching elements, one end of which is connected to one end and to the other end respectively of the series circuit of the first and second two-terminal bistable switching elements;

a first pulse input terminal, connected to one end and to the other end of the series circuit; and

a second pulse input terminal, connected to the center point of the series circuit;

wherein when a bias voltage is applied across the other end of the first switching element and the other end of the second switching element, and a trigger pulse is input from the first and second pulse input terminals.

8. The logic circuit according to claim 7 , further comprising third, fourth, and fifth switching elements, respectively connected to the one end, the other end, and the center point of the series circuit, and characterized in that, when a trigger pulse is input from the second pulse input terminal, the third and fourth switching elements operate so as to lower the impedance at the one end and at the other end of the series circuit, and when a trigger pulse is input from the first pulse input terminal, the fifth switching element operates so as to lower the impedance at the center point of the series circuit.

9. The logic circuit according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and second two-terminal bistable switching elements is a spin-valve element having at least an insulating layer or a nonmagnetic layer, and a pair of ferromagnetic layers having different coercivities and provided so as to sandwich the insulating layer or nonmagnetic layer.

10. The logic circuit according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and second two-terminal bistable switching elements is a bistable resistance element having an insulating thin film and a pair of electrodes provided so as to sandwich the insulating thin film.

11. The logic circuit according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and second two-terminal bistable switching elements is an atomic switch that is configured to control, by applying an electric field to a minute gap between a solid electrolytic electrode and a metal electrode, the formation and annihilation of metal clusters in the gap, and to perform electrical on/off switching across the solid electrolyte electrode and the metal electrode by means of this control.

12. The logic circuit according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second pulse input terminals are each connected via a rectifying element.