Learning optimal erasure of a Static Random Access Memory

Abstract

In this paper, we study the thermodynamic cost associated with erasing a static random access memory. By combining the stochastic thermodynamics framework of electronic circuits with machine learning-based optimization techniques, we show that it is possible to erase an electronic random access memory at arbitrarily fast speed and finite heat dissipation. This disproves a widely held belief that heat dissipation scales linearly with erasure speed. Furthermore, we find driving protocols that minimize the heat dissipation, leading to explicit design principles for future computer memories. This bridges an important gap between the theoretical framework of stochastic thermodynamics and applications in electronic engineering.