Abstract
Current computers are limited by the von Neumann bottleneck, which constrains the throughput between the processing unit and the memory. Chemical processes have the potential to scale beyond current computing architectures as the processing unit and memory reside in the same space, performing computations through chemical reactions, yet their lack of programmability limits them. Herein, we present a programmable chemical processor comprising of a 5 by 5 array of cells filled with a switchable oscillating chemical (Belousov–Zhabotinsky) reaction. Each cell can be individually addressed in the ‘on’ or ‘off’ state, yielding more than 2.9 × 1017 chemical states which arise from the ability to detect distinct amplitudes of oscillations via image processing. By programming the array of interconnected BZ reactions we demonstrate chemically encoded and addressable memory, and we create a chemical Autoencoder for pattern recognition able to perform the equivalent of one million operations per second.
Highlights
Current computers are limited by the von Neumann bottleneck, which constrains the throughput between the processing unit and the memory
The rotation speed of each stirrer can be individually controlled; the local oscillations of the BZ reaction at a given cell can be individually addressed. (iv) The BZ reaction in the cells was monitored by a camera mounted above the grid, and the camera was connected to a computer enabling real-time analysis of the BZ
In this work we have shown a programmable chemical processor driven by the oscillating BZ reaction and a reaction array of 25 switchable cells addressed by magnetic stirrers
Summary
Current computers are limited by the von Neumann bottleneck, which constrains the throughput between the processing unit and the memory. In the particular case of the BZ reaction, computational architectures using it have been able to emulate logic gates[24] and complex circuits[25], perform image processing[26] and pattern recognition[27], solve optimization problems[28], control mechanical components[29] or soft matter[30], and create neuromorphic architectures[31]. All these problem-specific platforms utilize excitable chemical medium and observe timeevolution of spatiotemporal oscillations as a computational logic for information processing. The BZ processor described here can be programmed at any point during its execution
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