Design of a bio-inspired spiking neuron based on nanoscale Josephson contacts with a gold wire in the weak link region

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Abstract

The results of an experimental study of new technological solutions for the creation of basic elements in compact bio-inspired spiking neurons are presented: we are talking about nanoscale Josephson contacts with a gold wire in the field of weak communication. The design of the neuron as a whole has been found, for which the low capacitance of nanoscale contacts, which was previously one of the main limitations in practical implementation, is no longer a problem. The operability of the proposed circuit solution is confirmed by numerical modeling. On this basis, the topologies of the bio-inspired neuron were developed. The results obtained open new possibilities for the creation of high-performance and energy-efficient neural networks, which can have a significant impact on the development of artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.

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About the authors

G. I. Gubochkin

Lomonosov Moscow State University

Email: nvklenov@mail.ru

Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University

Russian Federation, Leninskie gory 1, bld. 2, Moscow

A. A. Elistratova

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University); Dukhov Automatic Research Institute (VNIIA)

Email: nvklenov@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700; 22 Sushchevskaya Str., Moscow, 127030

A. G. Shishkin

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University)

Email: nvklenov@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700

M. S. Sidelnikov

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University)

Email: nvklenov@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700

N. V. Klenov

Lomonosov Moscow State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: nvklenov@mail.ru

Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University

Russian Federation, Leninskie gory 1, bld. 2, Moscow

V. S. Stolyarov

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University); Dukhov Automatic Research Institute (VNIIA)

Email: nvklenov@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700; 22 Sushchevskaya Str., Moscow, 127030

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Supplementary files

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1. JATS XML
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2. Fig. 1. Josephson contact: (a) – three-dimensional model; (b) – colored photographs of contacts taken with a scanning electron microscope perpendicularly and at an angle to the plane of the chip.

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3. Fig. 2. Measurements at the base temperature T = 200 mK: (a) – current-voltage characteristic of the SNS contact (electrode width W = 750 nm, distance between them L = 230 nm); (b) – dependence of the critical current density of the samples on the length L of the gold wire at W = 500 nm (triangles) and 750 nm (diamonds).

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4. Fig. 3. Change in the volt-ampere characteristics of the samples with an increase in the magnetic induction of the applied field: 12 mT – dark solid curve, 31 mT – dashed curve, 49 mT – dotted curve, 87 mT – light solid curve.

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5. Fig. 4. Temperature dependences: (a) – critical current of three SNS contacts (L = 105 nm, W = 750 nm – solid curve, L = 230 nm, W = 750 nm – curve of dots, L = 160 nm, W = 500 nm – dashed curve). At TC SNS = 6 K, a complete transition to normal conductivity through the Au strip occurs; (b) – resistance of the SNS contact (W = 500 nm, L = 160 nm) at a current of I = 10 μA. The dots correspond to the experimental data, the solid curve – to expression (1).

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6. Fig. 5. Equivalent circuit of a 3JJ neuron [11, 12], in which Josephson contacts are marked with crosses and flowing currents are marked with arrows.

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7. Fig. 6. Simulation of the 3JJ neuron operation taking into account thermal noise at 0.3 K in the JoSIM software package [16]: (a) – “regular” mode, (b) – “traumatized” mode. Circuit parameters: Ls = 7.12 pH, Ln = 5.87 pH, LSQ = 13.86 pH, Ib = 524 μA, Iin = 173 μA, IC1 = 231 μA, Rn1 = 3.12 Ohm, τ = 5.5 ps, IC2 = 168 μA (a) and IC2 = 258 μA (b), Rn2 = 3.12 Ohm (a) and Rn2 = 4.82 Ohm (b).

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8. Fig. 7. Triangular mesh created for calculations in the 3D-MLSI program with a step of 0.01 µm on a section of the circuit containing a connection with an LSQ inductor.

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9. Fig. 8. Design of a 3JJ neuron based on nanoscale Josephson junctions. White dashes schematically show the current spreading obtained on the basis of simulation modeling using the 3D-MLSI package. White squares indicate virtual terminals for delimiting inductance sections in the circuit.

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