Ferroelectric memory element

Claim 1

A NONDESTRUCTIVE READOUT MEMORY SYSTEM COMPRISING A BLOCK OF FERROELECTRIC MATERIAL HAVING A POLARIZATION AXIS AND TWO STABLE STATES OF POLARIZATION CHARGE, A FIRST PAIR OF ELECTRODES POSITIONED ON SAID BACK TO PRODUCE IN SAID BLOCK IN RESPONSE TO A SIGNAL SUPPLIED TO SAID ELECTRODES AN ELECTRIC FIELD PARALLEL TO SAID POLARIZATION AXIS, A SECOND PAIR OF ELECTRODES POSITIONED ON SAID BLOCK TO PRODUCE IN SAID BLOCK IN RESPONSE TO A SIGNAL SUPPLIED TO SAID SECOND PAIR OF ELECTRODES AN ELECTRIC FIELD SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID POLARIZATION AXIS, A SOURCE OF WRITE SIGNALS SELECTIVELY GENERATING WRITE SIGNALS OF ONE OR THE OPPOSITE POLARITY REPRESENTATIVE RESPECTIVELY OF BINARY ONES AND ZEROS AND OF A MAGNITUDE SUFFICIENT TO CHANGE THE CHARGE STATE OF SAID FERROELECTRIC BLOCK, MEANS CONNECTING SAID SOURCE OF WRITE SIGNALS BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF ELECTRODES, A SOURCE OF UNIPOLAR INTERROGATE PULSES HAVING A MAGNITUDE SUFFICIENT TO AFFECT THE INSTANTANEOUS CHARGE STATE OF SAID BLOCK, MEANS CONNECTING SAID SOURCE OF INTERROGATE PULSES BETWEEN SAID SECOND PAIR OF ELECTRODES, AND OUTPUT MEANS, COMPRISING CHARGE SENSING MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF ELECTRODES, FOR SENSING TO CHANGE IN CHARGE BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF ELECTRODES.