Periodic Reporting for period 3 - SCHINES (Spatially-Separated Chirality Inspired Networks)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-01-01 bis 2023-06-30
Creating a brain-inspired technology through neouromorphic engineering could achieve or even surpass the extraordinary ability of the brain to grasp the world. The brain operates at an extremely low power consumption yet with the most complex interconnectivity known to mankind (maybe an order of magnitude number would be useful). The main goal of SCHINES is to set a clear direction to solve one of the biggest technological challenges that hinders this revolution: in existing physical neural network architectures, the desired interconnectivity can hardly be achieved. We will fabricate and design devices to demonstrate radically improved signal routing using topological metals. The design principle is simple: the environment of chiral electrons, electrons with spin locked to its momentum, can be engineered to create rich electronic lensing effect, analogous to light in-media propagation, yet broader. Positive and negative effective indices of refraction for electrons, and lossless signal crossing can be engineered while maintaining, selecting or filtering the intrinsic topological protection of chirality, a degree of freedom that can be used for computation. These design principles are the basis for our device goal, creating scalable interconnectivity and are highly transferrable to devices based on different architecture: they apply to strained materials, magnetic domains and heterostructures. SCHINES bridges the gap between the most abstract quantum field theory calculations and microscopic modelling to sample fabrication and measurement, culminating in device assembly.
The project produced a series of results.
(1) The filtering mechanisms of chirality in a device context were systematically explored and described. A novel filtering mechanism was proposed.
(2) Fundamental transport properties of topological and other semimetals lead to the observation and understanding of the bulk quantum Hall effect in HfTe5, and the evidence for chiral anomaly in CoSi crystals. In addition, Fermiology and scattering analysis of transport in niobium phosphide was conducted.
(3) Amorphous topological materials were studied for their use in interconnects in microfabricated electronics. Important insight from theoretical studies motivated a study using amorphous semimetal thin films, which should competitive conductivity for sub-10 nm films.
(4) A high-frequency amplifier using Weyl semimetals has been proposed at the International Electron Device Meeting (IEEE) in 2019. SCHINES contributed to the theoretical and technical demonstration of this new devie type.
(1) The filtering mechanisms of chirality in a device context were systematically explored and described. A novel filtering mechanism was proposed.
(2) Fundamental transport properties of topological and other semimetals lead to the observation and understanding of the bulk quantum Hall effect in HfTe5, and the evidence for chiral anomaly in CoSi crystals. In addition, Fermiology and scattering analysis of transport in niobium phosphide was conducted.
(3) Amorphous topological materials were studied for their use in interconnects in microfabricated electronics. Important insight from theoretical studies motivated a study using amorphous semimetal thin films, which should competitive conductivity for sub-10 nm films.
(4) A high-frequency amplifier using Weyl semimetals has been proposed at the International Electron Device Meeting (IEEE) in 2019. SCHINES contributed to the theoretical and technical demonstration of this new devie type.
The project contributed to understanding the potential use of chirality as a state variable for computing applications. Several approaches envisaged before do not hold a test against realistic device considerations.
The project further made important conributions to the study of transport effects and mechanisms in semimetals.
Further, two technological demonstrations of technological applications (interconnects and amplifiers) have put (topological) semimetals on the map of the microelectronic industry.
The project further made important conributions to the study of transport effects and mechanisms in semimetals.
Further, two technological demonstrations of technological applications (interconnects and amplifiers) have put (topological) semimetals on the map of the microelectronic industry.