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Neurons mimicked by electronics

Electronic devices can currently emulate only basic functions of biological neurons. Devices called memtransistors could overcome this limitation and give rise to improvements in artificial-intelligence systems.
  1. Da Li

    1. Da Li is in the Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.

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  2. Xiaogan Liang

    1. Xiaogan Liang is in the Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.

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The human brain contains billions of neurons that are linked to one another by trillions of tiny contacts called synapses. Designing electronic devices that approach this level of connectivity remains challenging, but, in a paper in Nature, Sangwan et al.1 report a breakthrough in this quest. They present a multi-terminal device called a memtransistor, which is made using a single layer of the semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). Such devices could enable the construction of neural-network systems that have a high degree of connectivity and that can execute complex neural functions. This envisaged network technology, if eventually created, would have a great impact on the development of hardware-based artificial intelligence (AI).

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Nature 554, 472-473 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-02025-x

References

  1. Sangwan, V. K. et al. Nature 554, 500–504 (2018).

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