Spike propagation in a nanolaser-based optoelectronic neuron
Abstract
With the recent development of artificial intelligence and deep neural networks, alternatives to the Von Neumann architecture are in demand to run these algorithms efficiently in terms of speed, power and component size. In this theoretical study, a neuromorphic, optoelectronic nanopillar metal-cavity consisting of a resonant tunneling diode (RTD) and a nanolaser diode (LD) is demonstrated as an excitable pulse generator. With the proper configuration, the RTD behaves as an excitable system while the LD translates its electronic output into optical pulses, which can be interpreted as bits of information. The optical pulses are characterized in terms of their width, amplitude, response delay, distortion and jitter times. Finally, two RTD-LD units are integrated via a photodetector and their feasibility to generate and propagate optical pulses is demonstrated. Given its low energy consumption per pulse and high spiking rate, this device has potential applications as building blocks in neuromorphic processors and spiking neural networks. © 2022 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement
Description
Funding: H2020 Future and Emerging Technologies (828841); UK Research and Innovation Turing AI Acceleration Fellowshops Programme (EP/V025198/1). Acknowledgments: The authors are supported by the European Commission through the H2020-FET-OPEN Project "ChipAI". The authors also acknowledge Víctor Dolores-Calzadilla and Ekaterina Malysheva from the Eindhoven University of Technology for their fruitful contributions on nanolasers. The team at the University of Strathclyde acknowledges support from the UKRI Turing AI Acceleration Fellowships Programme. Disclosures: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Data availability: Data underlying the results presented in this paper are not publicly available at this time but may be obtained from the authors upon reasonable request.
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