Thanks to the 'synaptic' superconducting switch, the computer can operate like a human brain

Researchers at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Colarado have developed superconducting switches that can learn like nerve cells in the human body.

This switch is called a "synapse" , which can connect processors and memory inside future computers that act like human brains. This work has been published in Science Advances.

Research has shown that this switch of NIST is the missing part of a neural simulation computer . With a focus on a new category, these computers can help accelerate awareness and decision making for applications such as self-driving cars and cancer diagnostics.

This superconducting switch is called a "synapse," which can connect processors and memory inside future computers that act like human brains.(Source: nist.gov).

Biological synapses are a connection or switch between two brain cells. Meanwhile, the NIST artificial synapse, a 10 micrometer diameter metal cylinder, acts as a switch between the input current and the output signal. The way this switch works is similar to how synapses convert signals quickly between two brain cells.

According to the study, artificial NIST synapses can be used in computers that simulate the human brain made from superconducting parts, which can transmit electricity without obstruction, thus providing high performance. than other designs based on semiconductors or software. The data can be transmitted, processed and stored in magnets.

Artificial NIST synapses have lower energy requirements than human synapses. While a human neuron can process 50 times per second, the NIST synapse is capable of transmitting 1 billion times per second. The larger the transmission between the cell and the processor, the stronger the connection. Therefore, both biological and artificial synapses can maintain and create new connections.

This new artificial synapse will be used to produce computers that simulate the brain, which can act like a human brain. In the past, other superconducting devices simulated human brain cells and transmission had been developed, but there were still lacking efficient synaptic joints.

NIST's artificial synapse can be an important invention that connects them all together. In particular, joints can be arranged in three dimensions to create a larger system for computing.

NIST researchers have created a circuit model to simulate how such a system works.