An electronic chip mimics the brain to create memories in a flash

Researchers at RMIT University have been inspired by Optogenetics, an emerging tool in biotechnology, to develop a device that replicates how the brain stores and loses information. Optogenetics allows scientists to immerse themselves in the body's electrical system with incredible accuracy, using light to manipulate neurons so that they can be turned on or off.

The new chip is based on an ultra-thin material that modifies the electrical resistance according to different wavelengths of light, which allows it to reproduce the function of neurons to store and delete information in the brain. Dr. Sumeet Walia, head of the research team, said the technology had applications in artificial intelligence (AI) technology that could harness all the sophisticated features of the brain.

"Our optogenetic-inspired chip mimics the fundamental biology of nature's best computer, the human brain," Walia said. "Being able to store, delete and process information is essential for the computer, and the brain does it extremely efficiently." We are able to simulate the neural approach of the brain by simply projecting different colors on our computer. This technology allows us to move further towards a fast, efficient and secure light computing environment.This also brings us closer to an important step toward the realization of a bionic brain, a brain on a chip that can to learn from their environment as humans do. "

Dr. Taimur Ahmed, lead author of the study published in Advanced functional materials, said that being able to reproduce neural behavior on an artificial chip offered interesting avenues for research in all sectors. "This technology offers researchers tremendous opportunities to better understand the brain and its impact on disorders disrupting neuronal connections, such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia," Ahmed said.

Researchers at RMIT's functional materials and microsystems research group have also demonstrated that the chip can perform logical operations by ticking another box for brain-like functionality. Developed at RMIT's MicroNano Research Center, this technology is compatible with existing electronics. It has also been demonstrated on a flexible platform for integration into portable electronics.

How does the chip work

Neuronal connections occur in the brain through electrical impulses. When tiny peaks of energy reach a certain threshold of tension, the neurons bind, beginning of the creation of memory. On the chip, the light is used to generate a photocurrent. Switching between colors causes the reverse current to be positive in the negative direction. This polarity shift is equivalent to linking and breaking neural connections, a mechanism that allows neurons to connect (and induce learning) or inhibit (and induce oblivion).

This is like optogenetics, in which light-induced neural modification turns them on or off, allowing or inhibiting connections to the next neuron in the chain. To develop this technology, the researchers used a material called black phosphorus (BP) that may be intrinsically defective. This is usually a problem for optoelectronics, but with precision engineering, researchers have been able to exploit the flaws to create new features.

"Defects are generally considered something to avoid, but we use them here to create something new and useful," Ahmed said. "It's a creative approach to finding solutions to the technical challenges we face."