Science Daily July 28, 2018
Researchers at NIST stacked waveguides made of silicon nitride to form a three-dimensional grid with 10 inputs or “upstream” neurons each connecting to 10 outputs or “downstream” neurons, for a total of 100 receivers. They created software to automatically generate signal routing, with adjustable levels of connectivity between the neurons. Laser light was directed into the chip through an optical fiber routing each input to every output group, following a selected distribution pattern for light intensity or power. To evaluate the results, researchers made images of the output signals. The output was highly uniform, with low error rates, confirming precise power distribution. The use of the third dimension to enable more optical connectivity and the new measurement technique advance the scaling up of optoelectronic neural systems… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
NIST’s grid-on-a-chip distributes light signals precisely, showcasing a potential new design for neural networks. Credit: Chiles/NIST