There is provided a nonvolatile memory including memory cells each of which
includes a storage element including a bistable molecular layer, wherein the bistable
molecular layer contains a bistable molecule which brings about isomerization from
a first isomer into a second isomer by injecting a hole and an electron into the
bistable molecular layer, and brings about isomerization from the second isomer
into the first isomer by irradiating the bistable molecular layer with erase light,
and the memory is configured to irradiate the bistable molecular layers of all
the memory cells with the erase light while applying an electric field to the bistable
molecular layer of only a part of the memory cells that stores information to be
held when erasing information stored in the rest of the memory cells.
