The invention relates to support element comprising a main body having a front wall and a peripheral wall projecting away from the front wall. Typically, transitions in the first output signal combined with the state of the second output signal provide such information. A method is also disclosed for preparing CNTs from preformed CNT substrates in the presence of cylindrical templating structures and a carbon source in a fluid phase, wherein non-thermalized excited states are produced on the CNT substrate and at least one of the CNT substrate or the cylindrical templating structure is translated during addition of carbon atoms to the CNT substrate. Using this technique, a radiation hardened reference-mirror control circuit provides a switched write current for setting the logical state of MRAM bits during a radiation event, for instance.