We observe deterministic chaos in a simple network of electronic logic gates that are not regulated by a clocking signal. The resulting power spectrum is ultrawide band, extending from dc to beyond 2 GHz. The observed behavior is reproduced qualitatively using an autonomously updating Boolean model with signal propagation times that depend on the recent history of the gates and filtering of pulses of short duration, whose presence is confirmed experimentally. Electronic Boolean chaos may find application as an ultrawide-band source of radio waves.

• Received 19 June 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.80.045202