Professor Namyoung Kim (Department of Electronic Engineering) Research Team

Developed Tantalum Pentoxide-Based Memristor for Photonic In-Memory Computing Application

- JCR 1% Q1, IF: 19.069 Published in the scientific journal Nano Energy -

- Developed memristor, the fourth device for photonic in-memory computing that performs cognitive functions closely mimicking the operating principles of the human brain - 

Kwangwoon University Professor Namyoung Kim (Department of Electronic Engineering) research team and Ph.D. student Wenxiao Wang (first author) developed a memlist, a fourth device that mimics human cognitive functions. 

<(Left) Wenxiao Wang, Doctoral course researcher; (Right) Professor Namyoung Kim>

The research team developed the fourth element (aside from resistors, inductors, and capacitors), which is the core of neuromorphic engineering, the memrist. It imitates the process of learning and computing by the human brain and imitates the computer's computational structure in the form of an artificial neural network to mimic human learning ability. Memrist plays the same role as each core in which neurons in the brain process information. Neurons are connected by synapses, which play a role in processing information by exchanging spike signals (action potentials) between neurons.

[Tantalum pentoxide-based memristors for optoelectronic memory computing applications: (a) Schematic diagram of in-memory computing concept, (b) Preparation of thin films, (c) (d)TEM image of cross section]

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Key Research Institute Support Project supported by the Ministry of Education and the Basic Science Research Program through the Graduate School of the Ministry of Environment (MOE). The results of the research were published under the title of “Tantalum Pentoxide (Ta2O5 and Ta2O5-x)-based Memristor for Photonic In-Memory Computing Application” in Nano Energy (IF=19.069), an internationally renowned journal published by Elsevier.

(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2022.108072)