This chapter consists of two parts. Part I gives a circuit-theoretic foundation for the first four elementary nonlinear 2-terminal circuit elements, namely, the resistor, the capacitor, the inductor, and the memristor. Part II consists of a collection of colorful “Vignettes” with carefully articulated text and colorful illustrations of the rudiments of the memristor and its characteristic fingerprints and signatures. It is intended as a self-contained pedagogical primer for beginners who have not heard of memristors before.

If it’s pinched it’s a memristor

This paper classifies all memristors into three classes called Ideal, Generic, or Extended memristors. A subclass of Generic memristors is related to Ideal memristors via a one-to-one mathematical transformation, and is hence called Ideal Generic memristors. The concept of non-volatile memories is defined and clarified with illustrations. Several fundamental new concepts, including Continuum-memory memristor, POP (acronym for Power-Off Plot), DC V-I Plot, and Quasi DC V-I Plot, are rigorously defined and clarified with colorful illustrations. Among many colorful pictures the shoelace DC V-I Plot stands out as both stunning and illustrative. Even more impressive is that this bizarre shoelace plot has an exact analytical representation via 2 explicit functions of the state variable, derived by a novel parametric approach invented by the author.

/pdf/everything-you-wish-to-know-about-memristors-but-are-afraid-5d7zpszkwc.pdf

Everything You Wish to Know About Memristors But Are Afraid to Ask

If It's Pinched It's a Memristor.

The realisation of negative-impedance convertors (n.i.c.s) and invertors (n.i.i.s) using the bridge-type circuit is briefly surveyed. An equivalence relating the nullor to infinite-gain controlled sources is first proved, and is then used for the derivation of nullator-norator equivalent circuits for n.i.c.s and n.i.i.s. Some properties of networks containing singular elements, which are used in the realisation of gyrators, are investigated. Nullator-norator equivalent circuits for gyrators are derived by using the n.i.c.s and n.i.i.s. They are converted into physical networks by using the proved equivalence. Gyrator circuits are obtained by replacing nullors by operational amplifiers. A stability analysis of the gyrator circuits is produced and a relevant theorem concerning passivity is proved. The feasible Qfactors and the accuracy of the gyrator circuits are indicated by some experimental results. A generalised-impedance convertor (g.i.c.) is defined by generalising the n.i.c. theory, and it is shown that the gyrator circuits described can be used as g.i.c.s. The application of the gyrator and g.i.c. circuits in the synthesis of RC-active networks is considered. Finally, a highpass filter using gyrators and a bandpass filter using g.i.c.s are designed, and the experimental results are given.

Realisation of gyrators using operational amplifiers, and their use in RC-active-network synthesis

The properties of n -ports can be examined in terms of simple properties of linear vector spaces. This approach leads to a very general type of network formalism which in turn casts light on the physical realizability (or nonrealizability) of the singular linear network elements: the nullator (simultaneously an open and a short circuit), and the norator (the unique nonreciprocal one-port with arbitrary port voltage and current). Furthermore, a two-port (the "nullor") which combines these two elements can be shown to be a unique active building block which exhibits the extraordinary nature of the two singular one-ports, but which has other properties which make it amenable for use in practical systems.

Singular Network Elements

The development of new solid-state active elements, such as variable-capacitor diodes and tunnel diodes, has stimulated the network theorist to consider the negative resistor as an additional basic circuit element to be included in problems of linear network analysis and synthesis. In this paper it is first shown that if the negative resistor is added to the usual set of lumped passive building blocks, then it is possible to represent as a network any linear relation between n-port voltages and currents prescribed in terms of real, rational functions of a complex-frequency variable. This leads to the synthesis of some novel pathologic circuits which have neither immittance nor scattering representations, such as a one-port, which is simultaneously an open circuit and a short circuit (v=i=0, the "nullator"), and the linear network in which voltages and currents at the ports are completely arbitrary (the "norator," the unique, linear nonreciprocal, one-port). These elements are shown to be basic linear circuit building blocks. The second part of the paper considers the synthesis in the frequency domain of a real, rational n×n immitance matrix in which pole locations and pole multiplicities are completely arbitrary. It is shown that such a matrix can always be realized with lossless elements and at most n positive and n negative resistors.

H. J. Carlin

Papers

Network Synthesis with Negative Resistors