Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new type of artificial synapse that is extremely energy efficient and fast, processing data a million times faster than synapses in the human brain, New Atlas reports. The key is an analog design in which protons rather than electrons are shuttled around.
Because of its unique neuronal and synaptic structure, the human brain is considered the most powerful processor in the world. Mimicking this analog setup allows the creation of more powerful computers that save time and energy by performing operations in series and processing data in memory rather than transferring data between different components. Neural networks take advantage of this principle, but they have their own hardware limitations.
Now, a team at MIT may have cracked one of those limitations. The researchers have developed a new type of programmable resistors that are the building blocks of analog processors. The conductivity of these devices can be switched to conduct or block ions as needed, and arrays of these resistors can process and transmit information just like natural neurons and synapses.
In this case, the team made a few improvements to the formula. First, the resistors are conducting protons, which are the smallest ions that can move at a very fast rate with little help. But the main change is the solid electrolyte, which is made of phosphosilicate glass (PSG) – essentially silicon dioxide with a little phosphorus added. This inorganic material was found to have high proton conductivity at room temperature, thanks to its nanoscale pores, which allow protons to pass through while blocking electrons.
When a strong electric field of up to 10 volts is applied, plasmons pass through the device stack at lightning speed. This allows the analog processor to transfer data a million times faster than previous versions – including the synapses of the human brain.
Importantly, even with all the energy passing through it, the resistor won’t break down over millions of cycles because the smaller size and mass of the protons means they won’t damage the material. And, because the PSG is an insulator for electrons, very little current passes through the device, keeping it cool and reducing energy use.
The researchers plan to tweak the design so that they can make these resistors in large quantities to produce arrays of them and see how they work together. This could eventually lead to faster types of computers.
The study was published in the journal Science.
