Associative routing through neuromorphic nanowire networks

Abstract

Resistance in neuromorphic nanowire networks can be decreased when activated by voltage as multiple pathways of low resistance interconnected nanowires form, increasing nanowire to nanowire connectivity. We show that high connectivity regions are retained for a few minutes after the energy source is switched off. We have used this property to devise an associative device. With a multielectrode array, we send current through the network to connect together areas that are spatially associated with a given electrode combination forming a pattern. We correctly retrieve the stored patterns by passing a small current through the network at a later time even when we input a faulty or incomplete pattern as the network groups stored patterns into cluster of high associativity, in analogy with semantic memory association in the human brain.