Towards Low Energy Tech - Hardware for Future Computing

Project descriptions

FC-A: Neuromorphic computing devices and systems from optimised electronic and optical networks

Principal Investigators: Martin Allen, Simon Brown, Nicola Gaston, Natalie Plank, Jami Shepherd

From complex networks of nanoparticles and nanostructures we’ll be building devices and systems that can carry out computation like the brain does. We will harness the strongly correlated brain-like patterns of electrical signals in these networks to show their use as reservoir computing systems, able to perform tasks such as pattern recognition and analysis.

First, we will develop improved control over and understanding of the nanoscale materials, networks and devices we have demonstrated in Tranche 1. We will explore electrical manipulation of synapses made from semiconducting metal oxide and carbon nanotube transistors, aiming to achieve spiking events similar in energy scale to those of biological systems. We will investigate a novel method of brain-like computing with ultrasound, optimise and benchmark our neuromorphic computing devices and systems and explore both electrical and optical means of controlling them. Building off these results, we will test our devices and systems out on the most suitable computing tasks.

FC-B: Computing using materials and structures with coupled and hidden internal order

Principal Investigators: Shen Chong, Michele Governale, Simon Granville, Ben Ruck, Daniel Sando

This project builds on our Tranche 1 developments into computing with materials having superconducting, magnetic and topologically ordered properties. While we will continue to improve our understanding and control over the materials that demonstrate these properties, our focus is to now couple these forms of order to achieve the higher levels of control in structures and prototype devices needed for future energy-efficient and fast computing.

We will study coupling superconductors with ferromagnets to control spin triplet supercurrents, needed for ultra-low energy dissipation superconducting electronics in quantum and cryogenic computing. We will seek a full electrical control of superconductivity using ferroelectric/superconductor structures, resulting in switching and rectification devices for superconductor power electronics. We will also theoretically and experimentally investigate members of the growing class of magnetic materials with multipolar order resulting in zero net magnetisation, which include antiferromagnets, altermagnets and fully spin-compensated ferromagnets, opening the door to non-volatile logic, memory and data storage devices that achieve very high densities without the problem of cross-talk from fringe magnetic fields.

PhD scholarships available in Hardware for Future Computing

Full list of PhD scholarships available in Hardware for Future Computing funded by the MacDiarmid Institute and how to apply.

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