Project description
Reimagining neural networks with light and sound
Today’s digital neural networks power smart systems, but can they become faster, more flexible, and even quantum-ready? To find the answers, the ERC-funded SOUND-PC project is exploring the use of light-sound interactions to build highly reconfigurable optical neural networks. Unlike current optical systems with fixed connections, SOUND-PC harnesses optoacoustics and Brillouin scattering to dynamically route signals within a single waveguide, using light and sound to process data in the frequency, spatial, and time domains. This pioneering approach could pave the way for adaptable photonic computing and even quantum neural networks. By merging nonlinear optics with acoustic control, SOUND-PC aims to unlock faster, smarter, and more energy-efficient computing for complex real-world challenges.
Objective
In contemporary times, intricate challenges, whether they pertain to climate dynamics or economic processes, necessitate the handling of big data and sophisticated intelligent systems. At the core of these systems are digital neural networks that can undergo training. Neural networks based on photonic connections can be an adequate alternative, as they come with a broad bandwidth, high processing speed, and integrability with existing electronic chips. However, so far optical neural networks are mostly based on fixed elements whose connections are difficult to reconfigure.
In my project SOUND-PC, I aim at creating an alternative architecture to control the photonic siblings of neural networks and will pioneer the approach of using light-sound interactions for the implementation of an optical neural network. The basis for this project lays in nonlinear optics, optoacoustics, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and optical computing.
The main goal of SOUND-PC is to experimentally demonstrate several approaches which use the interaction of traveling acoustic waves with light waves for optical neural networks. This concept has the potential to enable a highly reconfigurable computing architecture in one single optical waveguide that can use inputs in the frequency, spatial or time domain with flexible connection of nodes based on optoacoustic interaction. These approaches can potentially be transferred to the quantum domain and contribute to the new emerging field of quantum neural networks.
To achieve the main goal of SOUND-PC, I will harness nonlinear optical effects and optoacoustic interactions to address the following objectives:
1) Optoacoustic computing in the frequency domain
2) In-network computing realized by a distributed optoacoustic approach
3) Mode-processor in the spatial domain via topological-selective Brillouin scattering
4) Feasibility study of transferring optical computing architectures to the quantum domain.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences data science big data
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence computational intelligence
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG
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30167 Hannover
Germany
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