Design of thermal-noise-harnessing single-electron circuit for efficient signal propagation

Abstract

We propose a new single-electron (SE) circuit that can improve the signal propagation speed by harnessing thermal noise efficiently. Generally, an SE circuit has some weaknesses. It is very sensitive to thermal noise and it takes a long time for signal propagation. To solve these problems, we focus on a unique function at an output terminal (an axon) of a neuron that can improve the signal propagation speed because of its distinctive structure. It is expected that a new high-speed SE circuit can be realized by mimicking the structure of the neuron. Here, we indicate the possibility of improving the signal propagation speed by harnessing the thermal noise in one-dimensional neuromorphic single-electron oscillators. Moreover, we designed a two-dimensional neuromorphic single-electron oscillator as an advanced circuit and confirmed its tolerance to thermal noise. Our study will be useful for constructing novel devices that actively use noise energy in the future.