Skyrmionics for Neuromorphic Technologies

In today's world of pervasive Information Technology (IT), there is a pressing need to develop novel computing paradigms to move beyond current architectures with the goal of achieving intelligent computing with superior efficiency. Modern, conventional, computers operate in a very different manner to that of the human brain. In stark contrast, the main building blocks of the human brain are neurons (the computing elements) and synapses (the adaptive memory elements) and neurons are massively interconnected with synapses. Since learning is intricately connected to synaptic behavior, this project seeks to build next-generation artificial synapses In particular, we will explore the potential of non-volatile artificial synapses, based on nanoscale magnets, for energy-efficient brain-inspired operations, also known as neuromorphic computing. In a market with products requiring an abundance of sensors at the edge (e.g. mobiles or wearables like smart watches), there is a recognised need for ultra-low power and always-on sensory data processing. Neuromorphic hardware is one of the most promising routes for Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. We propose to demonstrate that nanoscale skyrmionics synapses (that use nanoscale whirling vortex-like magnetic states called skyrmions as information carriers) are ideal for energy-efficient smart edge-computing devices.