301 research outputs found
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Versatile stochastic dot product circuits based on nonvolatile memories for high performance neurocomputing and neurooptimization.
The key operation in stochastic neural networks, which have become the state-of-the-art approach for solving problems in machine learning, information theory, and statistics, is a stochastic dot-product. While there have been many demonstrations of dot-product circuits and, separately, of stochastic neurons, the efficient hardware implementation combining both functionalities is still missing. Here we report compact, fast, energy-efficient, and scalable stochastic dot-product circuits based on either passively integrated metal-oxide memristors or embedded floating-gate memories. The circuit's high performance is due to mixed-signal implementation, while the efficient stochastic operation is achieved by utilizing circuit's noise, intrinsic and/or extrinsic to the memory cell array. The dynamic scaling of weights, enabled by analog memory devices, allows for efficient realization of different annealing approaches to improve functionality. The proposed approach is experimentally verified for two representative applications, namely by implementing neural network for solving a four-node graph-partitioning problem, and a Boltzmann machine with 10-input and 8-hidden neurons
Crystal-clear neuronal computing
Induced progressive crystallization in chalcogenide-based materials can be used to closely mimic neuronal functions, opening new paths to neuromorphic computing
Imaging Oxygen Defects and their Motion at a Manganite Surface
Manganites are technologically important materials, used widely as solid
oxide fuel cell cathodes: they have also been shown to exhibit
electroresistance. Oxygen bulk diffusion and surface exchange processes are
critical for catalytic action, and numerous studies of manganites have linked
electroresistance to electrochemical oxygen migration. Direct imaging of
individual oxygen defects is needed to underpin understanding of these
important processes. It is not currently possible to collect the required
images in the bulk, but scanning tunnelling microscopy could provide such data
for surfaces. Here we show the first atomic resolution images of oxygen defects
at a manganite surface. Our experiments also reveal defect dynamics, including
oxygen adatom migration, vacancy-adatom recombination and adatom bistability.
Beyond providing an experimental basis for testing models describing the
microscopics of oxygen migration at transition metal oxide interfaces, our work
resolves the long-standing puzzle of why scanning tunnelling microscopy is more
challenging for layered manganites than for cuprates.Comment: 7 figure
Vertical current induced domain wall motion in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction with low current densities
Shifting electrically a magnetic domain wall (DW) by the spin transfer
mechanism is one of the future ways foreseen for the switching of spintronic
memories or registers. The classical geometries where the current is injected
in the plane of the magnetic layers suffer from a poor efficiency of the
intrinsic torques acting on the DWs. A way to circumvent this problem is to use
vertical current injection. In that case, theoretical calculations attribute
the microscopic origin of DW displacements to the out-of-plane (field-like)
spin transfer torque. Here we report experiments in which we controllably
displace a DW in the planar electrode of a magnetic tunnel junction by vertical
current injection. Our measurements confirm the major role of the out-of-plane
spin torque for DW motion, and allow to quantify this term precisely. The
involved current densities are about 100 times smaller than the one commonly
observed with in-plane currents. Step by step resistance switching of the
magnetic tunnel junction opens a new way for the realization of spintronic
memristive devices
A ferroelectric memristor
Memristors are continuously tunable resistors that emulate synapses.
Conceptualized in the 1970s, they traditionally operate by voltage-induced
displacements of matter, but the mechanism remains controversial. Purely
electronic memristors have recently emerged based on well-established physical
phenomena with albeit modest resistance changes. Here we demonstrate that
voltage-controlled domain configurations in ferroelectric tunnel barriers yield
memristive behaviour with resistance variations exceeding two orders of
magnitude and a 10 ns operation speed. Using models of ferroelectric-domain
nucleation and growth we explain the quasi-continuous resistance variations and
derive a simple analytical expression for the memristive effect. Our results
suggest new opportunities for ferroelectrics as the hardware basis of future
neuromorphic computational architectures
Recent advances on information transmission and storage assisted by noise
The interplay between nonlinear dynamic systems and noise has proved to be of
great relevance in several application areas. In this presentation, we focus on
the areas of information transmission and storage. We review some recent
results on information transmission through nonlinear channels assisted by
noise. We also present recent proposals of memory devices in which noise plays
an essential role. Finally, we discuss new results on the influence of noise in
memristors.Comment: To be published in "Theory and Applications of Nonlinear Dynamics:
Model and Design of Complex Systems", Proceedings of ICAND 2012 (Springer,
2014
Computers from plants we never made. Speculations
We discuss possible designs and prototypes of computing systems that could be
based on morphological development of roots, interaction of roots, and analog
electrical computation with plants, and plant-derived electronic components. In
morphological plant processors data are represented by initial configuration of
roots and configurations of sources of attractants and repellents; results of
computation are represented by topology of the roots' network. Computation is
implemented by the roots following gradients of attractants and repellents, as
well as interacting with each other. Problems solvable by plant roots, in
principle, include shortest-path, minimum spanning tree, Voronoi diagram,
-shapes, convex subdivision of concave polygons. Electrical properties
of plants can be modified by loading the plants with functional nanoparticles
or coating parts of plants of conductive polymers. Thus, we are in position to
make living variable resistors, capacitors, operational amplifiers,
multipliers, potentiometers and fixed-function generators. The electrically
modified plants can implement summation, integration with respect to time,
inversion, multiplication, exponentiation, logarithm, division. Mathematical
and engineering problems to be solved can be represented in plant root networks
of resistive or reaction elements. Developments in plant-based computing
architectures will trigger emergence of a unique community of biologists,
electronic engineering and computer scientists working together to produce
living electronic devices which future green computers will be made of.Comment: The chapter will be published in "Inspired by Nature. Computing
inspired by physics, chemistry and biology. Essays presented to Julian Miller
on the occasion of his 60th birthday", Editors: Susan Stepney and Andrew
Adamatzky (Springer, 2017
A self-rectifying TaOy/nanoporous TaOx memristor synaptic array for learning and energy-efficient neuromorphic systems
The human brain intrinsically operates with a large number of synapses, more than 10(15). Therefore, one of the most critical requirements for constructing artificial neural networks (ANNs) is to achieve extremely dense synaptic array devices, for which the crossbar architecture containing an artificial synaptic node at each cross is indispensable. However, crossbar arrays suffer from the undesired leakage of signals through neighboring cells, which is a major challenge for implementing ANNs. In this work, we show that this challenge can be overcome by using Pt/TaOy/nanoporous (NP) TaOx/Ta memristor synapses because of their self-rectifying behavior, which is capable of suppressing unwanted leakage pathways. Moreover, our synaptic device exhibits high non-linearity (up to 10(4)), low synapse coupling (S.C, up to 4.00 x 10(-5)), acceptable endurance (5000 cycles at 85 degrees C), sweeping (1000 sweeps), retention stability and acceptable cell uniformity. We also demonstrated essential synaptic functions, such as long-term potentiation (LTP), long-term depression (LTD), and spiking-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), and simulated the recognition accuracy depending on the S.C for MNIST handwritten digit images. Based on the average S.C (1.60 x 10(-4)) in the fabricated crossbar array, we confirmed that our memristive synapse was able to achieve an 89.08% recognition accuracy after only 15 training epochs
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