A brain-inspired iontronic platform that mimics hardware-based artificial intelligence
Researchers supported by Transformative Quantum Technologies (TQT) have demonstrated an iontronic platform that is configurable to mimic neuromorphic functions on a hardware level.
By Lubaba Hoque
Guo-Xing Miao (associate professor, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering), Manoj Sachdev (professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering), and their team demonstrated a Lithium-ion imbued TiOx iontronic device with programmable volatile and non-volatile memory capabilities.
The device conductance exhibits synapse-like short-term plasticity (STP) with controlled ion injection (under stimulating electrical pulses of desired strengths and durations) and subsequent spontaneous retraction. The ion relaxation can be accelerated with an opposite electrical bias for assisted extraction if an application demands faster time scales.
"We finally have a true iontronic device, inspired by both renewable energy and brain functions where the roles of ions are already crucial. We demonstrated a practical and CMOS compatible platform that utilizes a 'battery-like' structure for more energy-efficient information processing."
- Guo-Xing Miao, IQC faculty member