2022 roadmap on neuromorphic computing and engineering

Modern computation based on von Neumann architecture is now a mature cutting-edge science. In the von Neumann architecture, processing and memory units are implemented as separate blocks interchanging data intensively and continuously. This data transfer is responsible for a large part of the power consumption. The next generation computer technology is expected to solve problems at the exascale with 10$^{18}$ calculations each second. Even though these future computers will be incredibly powerful, if they are based on von Neumann type architectures, they will consume between 20 and 30 megawatts of power and will not have intrinsic physically built-in capabilities to learn or deal with complex data as our brain does. These needs can be addressed by neuromorphic computing systems which are inspired by the biological concepts of the human brain. This new generation of computers has the potential to be used for the storage and processing of large amounts of digital information with much lower power consumption than conventional processors. Among their potential future applications, an important niche is moving the control from data centers to edge devices. The aim of this roadmap is to present a snapshot of the present state of neuromorphic technology and provide an opinion on the challenges and opportunities that the future holds in the major areas of neuromorphic technology, namely materials, devices, neuromorphic circuits, neuromorphic algorithms, applications, and ethics. The roadmap is a collection of perspectives where leading researchers in the neuromorphic community provide their own view about the current state and the future challenges for each research area. We hope that this roadmap will be a useful resource by providing a concise yet comprehensive introduction to readers outside this field, for those who are just entering the field, as well as providing future perspectives for those who are well established in the neuromorphic computing community

Particle Physics Reference Library

This second open access volume of the handbook series deals with detectors, large experimental facilities and data handling, both for accelerator and non-accelerator based experiments. It also covers applications in medicine and life sciences. A joint CERN-Springer initiative, the “Particle Physics Reference Library” provides revised and updated contributions based on previously published material in the well-known Landolt-Boernstein series on particle physics, accelerators and detectors (volumes 21A,B1,B2,C), which took stock of the field approximately one decade ago. Central to this new initiative is publication under full open access

Advancements in image sensor technology for soft X-ray spectroscopy in space: CIS detectors for the Auroral X-ray Imaging Spectrometer

Soft X-rays with energies below 2 keV are of tremendous scientific utility for planetary science but are particularly challenging to detect and analyse due to their low energies and short attenuation lengths. Solid state image sensor based X-ray detectors, derived from charge coupled devices (CCDs) and CMOS image sensors (CISs), have the potential to capture information about a soft X-ray flux in the time, spatial, and energy domains, and so are a potent scientific tool. Developing X-ray detector technology is enabling the application of soft X-ray imaging spectrometers in ever more demanding environments, with the current state of the art CIS promising the potential for high temperature, Fano-limited, performance. This thesis investigates the use of solid state image sensors for soft- X-ray imaging spectroscopy in space-based applications. Specifically: an evaluation of the radiation damage experienced by the swept charge devices (SCDs) of the Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS) which was shown to be within expectations and consistent with the requirements for continued science operation; and a study of X-ray detectors for the Auroral X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (AXIS) instrument aboard the Disturbed and quiet-time Ionosphere System at High Altitudes (DISHA) mission, resulting in the adoption of a novel CIS X-ray detector into the instrument design. The AXIS study has found that the newly developed CISs are now equal to their CCD counterparts in some soft X-ray imaging spectroscopy applications, potentially enabling new science targets to be pursued. The successful recommendation to change the AXIS instrument X-ray detector from the more mature EMCCD CCD201-20 of the baseline design, to the less mature but better performing CIS221-X and its derivatives represents a milestone in the development of CIS X-ray detector technology

Computed-Tomography (CT) Scan

A computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays and a computer to create detailed images of the inside of the body. CT scanners measure, versus different angles, X-ray attenuations when passing through different tissues inside the body through rotation of both X-ray tube and a row of X-ray detectors placed in the gantry. These measurements are then processed using computer algorithms to reconstruct tomographic (cross-sectional) images. CT can produce detailed images of many structures inside the body, including the internal organs, blood vessels, and bones. This book presents a comprehensive overview of CT scanning. Chapters address such topics as instrumental basics, CT imaging in coronavirus, radiation and risk assessment in chest imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), and feature extraction

Electronics for Sensors

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore new advanced solutions in electronic systems and interfaces to be employed in sensors, describing best practices, implementations, and applications. The selected papers in particular concern photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) interfaces and applications, techniques for monitoring radiation levels, electronics for biomedical applications, design and applications of time-to-digital converters, interfaces for image sensors, and general-purpose theory and topologies for electronic interfaces