Scientists at the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics have found that atomic nano-switches mimic the human memory.
An inorganic synapse showing short-term plasticity and long-term potentiality depending on input-pulse repetition time.
The researchers have for the first time demonstrated the important aspects in the psychology and neuroscience of memory by an AgS2 synapse. Artificial neural networks have gained importance as a source to understand in a better way about biological neural networks and to enable advancements in artificial intelligence.
The interlinked and complicated characteristic of thought processes cause neural behavior difficult to replicate in artificial structures devoid of software programming. However, the scientists at the University of California and the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics have emulated synaptic activity with a nanoscale AgS2 electrode’s electronic behavior.
The scientists detected a temporary higher-conductance state and subsequent incident electric pulse in the AgS2 system. The input pulse’s repetition over 2 s intervals resulted in permanent higher conductance. These two responses emulate the long-term potentiality and short-term plasticity in biological synapses.
According to the renowned ‘multistore’ model of memory in human psychology, new data is stored temporarily as a sensory memory. Rehearsal changes the temporary memory into a permanent memory. During the demonstration of memorization of the numbers ‘1’ and ‘2’ in a 7 x 7 inorganic synapse array, the artificial synapse behaved like a ‘multistore’ memory instead of a traditional switch. The researchers stated that according to the data, a psychological memory model could be applied concurrently with the replication of biological synaptic-like behavior.
Source: http://www.nims.go.jp/mana