Programmable Function Research Articles

Light-Activated Assembly of DNA Origami into Dissipative Fibrils.

Hierarchical DNA nanostructures offer programmable functions at scale, but making these structures dynamic, while keeping individual components intact, is challenging. Here we show that the DNA A-motif-protonated, self-complementary poly(adenine) sequences-can propagate DNA origami into one-dimensional, micron-length fibrils. When coupled to a small molecule pH regulator, visible light can activate the hierarchical assembly of our DNA origami into dissipative fibrils. This system is recyclable and does not require DNA modification. By employing a modular and waste-free strategy to assemble and disassemble hierarchical structures built from DNA origami, we offer a facile and accessible route to developing well-defined, dynamic, and large DNA assemblies with temporal control. As a general tool, we envision that coupling the A-motif to cycles of dissipative protonation will allow the transient construction of diverse DNA nanostructures, finding broad applications in dynamic and non-equilibrium nanotechnology.

Implementing Versatile Programmable Logic Functions Using Two Magnetization Switching Types in a Single Device

AbstractThe efficient manipulation of magnetization using spin‐orbit torques (SOTs) generated by heavy metals and topological insulators has attracted significant attention. However, the symmetry of these conventional materials makes it challenging to achieve deterministic switching of perpendicular magnetization by currents, which prevents the practical application of SOT‐based spintronic devices such as magnetic memories and logics. Here, a composition gradient in a TaxTi1‐x alloy is introduced and the field‐free magnetization switching in TaxTi1‐x/CoFeB heterostructures with controllable SOT efficiencies is realized. Additionally, by engineering the gradient with a tilting angle relative to the current injection arm of the device, highly asymmetric switching loops are achieved, which are attributed to tilted spin polarization. Based on these two switching types, namely field‐free switching and field‐assisted asymmetric switching, five programmable Boolean logic functions are successfully demonstrated using a single device. This work paves the way for high‐density computing‐in‐memory applications with industry compatible artificially‐designed asymmetric SOT materials.

Functionalization of Fabrics with Graphene-Based Coatings: Mechanisms, Approaches, and Functions

Due to their unique surface-active functionalities, graphene and its derivatives, i.e., graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), have received enormous research attention in recent decades. One of the most intriguing research hot spots is the integration of GO and rGO coatings on textiles through dyeing methods, e.g., dip-pad-dry. In general, the GO sheets can quickly diffuse into the fabric matrix and deposit onto the surface of the fibers through hydrogen bonding. The GO sheets can be conformally coated on the fiber surface, forming strong adhesion as a result of the high flakiness ratio, mechanical strength, and deformability. Moreover, multiple functions with application significance, e.g., anti-bacteria, UV protection, conductivity, and wetting control, can be achieved on the GO and rGO-coated fabrics as a result of the intrinsic chemical, physical, electronic, and amphiphilic properties of GO and rGO. On the other hand, extrinsic functions, including self-cleaning, self-healing, directional water transport, and oil/water separation, can be achieved for the GO and rGO coatings by the integration of other functional materials. Therefore, multi-scale, multifunctional, smart fabrics with programmable functions and functional synergy can be achieved by the design and preparation of the hybrid GO and rGO coatings, while advanced applications, e.g., healthcare clothing, E-textiles, anti-fouling ultrafiltration membranes, can be realized. In this review, we aim to provide an in-depth overview of the existing methods for functionalizing fabrics with graphene-based coatings while the corresponding functional performance, underlying mechanisms and applications are highlighted and discussed, which may provide useful insights for the design and fabrication of functional textiles and fabrics for different applications.

Boolean Logic Computing Based on Neuromorphic Transistor

AbstractGeneral‐purpose computers usually use logic gate computing units based on complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS). Due to the separate memory and computing units in Von Neumann architecture, data transmission requires great energy and time consumption. Developing novel neuromorphic devices and comprehensively investigating their logical computing mode are crucial to achieve high‐performance and low‐power neuromorphic computation. Here, a systematic summary of Boolean logic computing based on emerging neuromorphic transistors is presented. This summary encompasses logical operation modes, materials, device structures, and working mechanisms. The input mode of Boolean logic operation is classified into electrical input, optical input, and synergistic optical/electrical input. Besides, additional modulation strategies to construct programmable logic functions by electrical, optical, and thermal signals are also summarized. These strategies hold great significance as they enable dynamic reconfiguration of logic operations and provide neuromorphic devices with decision‐making capabilities. Finally, the application prospects and current challenges to Boolean logic computing based on dendritic integration are discussed from the aspects of device integration, synergistic input/modulation modes, auxiliary peripheral circuit, software/hardware system, etc. It is believed that comprehensive investigations on neuromorphic Boolean logic operations are crucial to push forward the development of future neuromorphic computing toward high efficiency and high integration density.

Programmable dual-band acoustic topological insulator with dynamically movable interface states

Topological acoustic interface states in one-dimensional (1D) acoustic topological insulators (ATIs) are zero-dimensional (0D) topological states localized at an interface. Unlike topological edge states that can propagate to deliver information in acoustic waveguides, the 0D topological interface states generally cannot serve as information carriers to deliver information from one location to another due to their intrinsic localization. Here, we design and demonstrate a 1D ATI with a movable interface, enabling the 0D topological acoustic interface states to deliver information from one location to another. The ATI design is based on two types of elemental building blocks—denoted as “1” and “0”—which are programmable. These elements of 1 and 0, when periodically arranged, can form topologically distinct crystals, whose interface hosts acoustic topological interface states in two bandgaps simultaneously. Since these two types of elements can switch from each other with external control, a programmable 1D dual-band ATI can be constructed. By programming coding sequences of 1 and 0 elements, we can observe dynamically movable 0D topological interface states riding on a moving interface along the 1D ATI in both bandgaps. Our work opens an avenue to develop topological acoustic devices with programmable and dynamic functions, which may have a variety of potential applications in the fields of energy trapping, topological pumping, information processing, and sound communication.

Synthesis of a glycan hairpin

The primary sequence of a biopolymer encodes the essential information for folding, permitting to carry out sophisticated functions. Inspired by natural biopolymers, peptide and nucleic acid sequences have been designed to adopt particular three-dimensional (3D) shapes and programmed to exert specific functions. In contrast, synthetic glycans capable of autonomously folding into defined 3D conformations have so far not been explored owing to their structural complexity and lack of design rules. Here we generate a glycan that adopts a stable secondary structure not present in nature, a glycan hairpin, by combining natural glycan motifs, stabilized by a non-conventional hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions. Automated glycan assembly enabled rapid access to synthetic analogues, including site-specific 13C-labelled ones, for nuclear magnetic resonance conformational analysis. Long-range inter-residue nuclear Overhauser effects unequivocally confirmed the folded conformation of the synthetic glycan hairpin. The capacity to control the 3D shape across the pool of available monosaccharides has the potential to afford more foldamer scaffolds with programmable properties and functions.

Shear Wave-Induced Friction at Periodic Interfaces for Programmable Mechanical Responses

Abstract Nonlinear phononic materials enable superior wave responses by combining nonlinearity with their inherent periodicity, creating opportunities for the development of novel acoustic devices. However, the field has largely focused on reversible nonlinearities, whereas the role of hysteretic nonlinearity remains unexplored. In this work, we investigate nonlinear shear wave responses arising from the hysteretic nonlinearity of frictional rough contacts, and harness these responses to enable programmable functions. By using a numerical approach, we solve the strongly nonlinear problem of shear wave propagation through a single contact and a periodic array of contacts, accounting for frictional effects. Specifically, the Jenkin friction model with experimentally obtained properties is used to capture the effects of stick–slip transition at the contacts. Results show that friction gives rise to shear-polarized eigenstrains, which are residual static deformations within the system. We then demonstrate how eigenstrain generation in multiple contacts can enable programmable functionalities such as an acoustically controlled mechanical switch, precision position control, and surface reconfigurability. Overall, our findings open new avenues for designing smart materials and devices with advanced functionalities via acoustic waves using the hysteretic nonlinearity of frictional contacts.

Ultra‐efficient fully programmable membership function generator based on independent double‐gate FinFET technology

SummaryThis paper demonstrates an ultra‐efficient, fully programmable membership function generator (MFG) utilizing independent double‐gate (IDG) FinFET technology. The proposed MFG can produce s‐shaped, z‐shaped, triangular, and trapezoidal membership functions. By employing only six transistors, the designed MFG provides full controllability over the height, position, width, and slope of the generated waveforms. Without using any additional transistor and changing the dimensions, the proposed MFG can calibrate the slope of the output based on the back‐gate bias voltage of the IDG‐FinFETs. According to our extensive simulations, the proposed MFG shows promising improvements in transistor count (70%), power‐delay‐product (PDP) (80%), and maximum absolute error (61%) as compared with its state‐of‐the‐art counterparts. To benchmark the functionality of the proposed MFG in practical applications, our generated membership function is exploited as the neuron's activation function in a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network. The simulation results indicate that the training process of the simulated MLP with the proposed MFG closely tracks the results obtained from the ideal MLP with the sigmoid activation function. A figure of merit (FoM) is defined considering the hardware efficiency and accuracy of the neural networks to evaluate the entire performance of the proposed MFG. The FoM simulations demonstrate that the proposed MFG presents an excellent trade‐off between hardware performance and accuracy in neural network applications. Our results emphasize that the proposed MFG is a potential candidate for designing high‐performance on‐chip neural networks.

A Digital Bit-Reconfigurable Versatile Compute-In-Memory Macro for Machine Learning Acceleration

This work proposes a digital versatile SRAM-based computing-in-memory (CIM) macro with reconfigurable precision from 1-bit to 16-bit and programmable mathematical functions, including addition and multiplication. The proposed CIM macro supports 1 16-bit weight-stationary addition (WSA) and operands-stationary addition (OSA), and 1 8-bit bit-serial multiplication (BSM). The proposed versatile CIM macro accelerates various machine learning algorithms such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and self-organizing maps (SOMs). A test chip was fabricated in 65nm CMOS technology and achieved an energy efficiency of up to 40.7 TOPS/W for WSA (1-bit), 39.4TOPS/W for OSA (1-bit), and 84.1 TOPS/W for BSM (1-bit).

Programmable graphene metasurface for terahertz propagation control based on electromagnetically induced transparency

Metasurfaces with programmable functions possess great potential in developing propagation control devices for electromagnetic waves. However, in the terahertz (THz) regime, most related metasurfaces are mainly focused on strength tuning and dual-function switching, otherwise relatively complex working conditions are required and the available controlling degree of freedom over the THz field is limited. Here, we propose a programmable graphene metasurface based on the quantum effect analogue, electromagnetically induced transparency. By varying the bias voltages applied to the graphene patterns connected to the dark resonators, the amplitude and phase of the unit cell's cross-polarized transmission can be continuously tuned and robustly switched between 0 and π, respectively. Based on this, flexible manipulations over the diffraction angles and focal lengths of the transmitted THz beams are achieved in either an amplitude or phase control manner. The proposed programmable scheme may provide new inspirations for designing THz programmable metasurface devices.

Additive Manufacturing of Engineered Living Materials with Bio-augmented Mechanical Properties and Resistance to Degradation.

Engineered living materials (ELMs) combine living cells with polymeric matrices to yield unique materials with programmable functions. While the cellular platform and the polymer network determine the material properties and applications, there are still gaps in our ability to seamlessly integrate the biotic (cellular) and abiotic (polymer) components into singular material, then assemble them into devices and machines. Herein, we demonstrated the additive-manufacturing of ELMs wherein bioproduction of metabolites from the encapsulated cells enhanced the properties of the surrounding matrix. First, we developed aqueous resins comprising bovine serum albumin (BSA) and poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGDA) with engineered microbes for vat photopolymerization to create objects with a wide array of 3D form factors. The BSA-PEGDA matrix afforded hydrogels that were mechanically stiff and tough for use in load-bearing applications. Second, we demonstrated the continuous in situ production of L-DOPA, naringenin, and betaxanthins from the engineered cells encapsulated within the BSA-PEGDA matrix. These microbial metabolites bioaugmented the properties of the BSA-PEGDA matrix by enhancing the stiffness (L-DOPA) or resistance to enzymatic degradation (betaxanthin). Finally, we demonstrated the assembly of the 3D printed ELM components into mechanically functional bolts and gears to showcase the potential to create functional ELMs for synthetic living machines.

Self-folding soft-robotic chains with reconfigurable shapes and functionalities

Magnetic continuum soft robots can actively steer their tip under an external magnetic field, enabling them to effectively navigate in complex in vivo environments and perform minimally invasive interventions. However, the geometries and functionalities of these robotic tools are limited by the inner diameter of the supporting catheter as well as the natural orifices and access ports of the human body. Here, we present a class of magnetic soft-robotic chains (MaSoChains) that can self-fold into large assemblies with stable configurations using a combination of elastic and magnetic energies. By pushing and pulling the MaSoChain relative to its catheter sheath, repeated assembly and disassembly with programmable shapes and functions are achieved. MaSoChains are compatible with state-of-the-art magnetic navigation technologies and provide many desirable features and functions that are difficult to realize through existing surgical tools. This strategy can be further customized and implemented for a wide spectrum of tools for minimally invasive interventions.

A high-performance and ultra-efficient fully programmable fuzzy membership function generator using FinFET technology for image enhancement

In fuzzy systems, efficient programmable membership function generators (MFGs) are the canonical point for the fuzzification process. This work demonstrates a high-performance programmable MFG using 7 nm FinFET technology. The proposed MFG can generate S-shaped, Z-shaped, Gaussian-shaped, and Generalized Bell-shaped membership functions. The proposed design employs 14 FinFETs to control the produced waveforms’ position, height, width, and slope. According to the simulations, the proposed MFG offers remarkable improvements in transistor count (39%), power-delay product (PDP) (54%), absolute error (45%), and root mean square error (36%) compared to the previous MFGs. The proposed design has been utilized for image enhancement to evaluate the performance of the proposed MFG in realistic environments. The image enhancement simulation results indicate a higher peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index metric (SSIM) than previous related works. A figure of merit (FoM) is defined considering the image enhancement quality metrics and circuit efficiency to benchmark the entire performance of the proposed MFG. The FoM simulations demonstrate that the proposed design shows an excellent trade-off between the circuit performance and image enhancement quality. Our results confirm that the proposed MFG is suitable for developing high-performance on-chip image processing applications.

Mechano/acousto-electric coupling between ReS2 and surface acoustic wave

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising candidates for developing next generation electronic/optoelectronic devices with programmable multi functions, due to their widely tunable properties by various physical stimuli. Mechanical strain is one of the most promising means to effectively modulate the physical properties of 2D materials. Nevertheless, few studies reported micro/nano scale controllable strain application platforms, limiting the development of novel mechano-electrical/optoelectrical devices based on 2D materials. This work proposes surface acoustic wave (SAW) device as a controllable strain modulation platform for 2D materials with sub-micro scale resolution. The platform uses the piezoelectric material (LiNbO3) as the substrate, which is deposited with interdigitated transducers (IDT) to generate SAW on the surface. The propagation of SAW causes surface deformation, which is then transferred to the 2D materials on the substrate. The period of the surface deformation/strain is related with that of SAW, which is determined by the period of IDT with nano meter scale. It is demonstrated that the photo luminescence spectrum of a 2D ReS2 flake on this platform gradually shifts with the SAW excitation power, which reaches a shift of 3 nm as the SAW excitation power achieves 26 dBm, corresponding to a band gap increase of 5 meV. Meanwhile, the platform is also capable to provide acousto-electric coupling between SAW and 2D materials, which is demonstrated by the shift of the SAW resonant frequency due to the re-distribution of photo-generated carriers in ReS2 upon light illumination.

Light‐Triggered and Polarity‐Switchable Homojunctions for Optoelectronic Logic Devices

AbstractSemiconductor homojunctions based on 2D materials are promising candidates for optoelectronic logic devices due to their excellent electrostatic tunability and photoelectric characteristic. However, to reach programmable logic functions, the 2D homojunctions usually suffer from compulsory combinations of electrical and optical inputs. Here, a light‐triggered and polarity‐switchable homojunction made from the vertically stacked MoTe2/CuInP2S6/Au layers in a dual‐floating gate transistor configuration, is demonstrated. Utilizing the band alignment between MoTe2 and CuInP2S6, the photocarriers in MoTe2 can be excited to Au layer across the insulating CuInP2S6 efficiently, serving as floating gate to modulate the polarity of the MoTe2 homojunctions which produce photocurrents simultaneously in photovoltaic mode. A logic gate XOR is achieved in one single device without the need for any applied voltage. Moreover, the devices exhibit both anomalous photoresponse and optical memory behaviors in photoconductive mode. The results provide a potential route for the development of optoelectronic logic devices with fully light‐actuated sensing capability.

Photochemically-driven highly efficient intracellular delivery and light/hypoxia programmable triggered cancer photo-chemotherapy

BackgroundUsing nanotechnology to improve the efficiency of tumor treatment represents a major research interest in recent years. However, there are paradoxes and obstacles in using a single nanoparticle to fulfill all the requirements of complex tumor treatment.ResultsIn this paper, a programmed-triggered nanoplatform (APP NPs), which is sequentially responsive to light and hypoxia, is rationally integrated for photoacoustic (PA) imaging-guided synergistic cancer photo-chemotherapy. The nanoplatform is constructed by in situ hybridization of dopamine monomer in the skeleton of PCN-224 and loading prodrug banoxantrone (AQ4N). Upon first-stage irradiation with a 660 nm laser, cellular internalization was effectively promoted by a photosensitizer-mediated photochemical effect. Furthermore, under second-stage irradiation, APP NPs exhibit a notably high photothermal conversion efficiency and sufficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) production for photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), respectively, which not only triggers rapid intercellular drug release but also consequently aggravates tumor hypoxia levels, and aggravated hypoxia can further active the cytotoxicity of AQ4N for chemotherapy. Both in vitro and in vivo studies confirm that the dual-stage light guided photo-chemotherapy strategy exhibits a greatly enhanced anticancer effects and superior therapeutic safety.ConclusionThis work represents a versatile strategy to construct a dual-stage light induced PDT/PTT and hypoxia-activated chemotherapy nanoplatform and will be promising for the development of multistimuli-responsive nanosystems with programmable functions for precise cancer therapy.

Ultrahigh dynamic range and low noise figure programmable integrated microwave photonic filter

Microwave photonics has adopted a number of important concepts and technologies over the recent pasts, including photonic integration, versatile programmability, and techniques for enhancing key radio frequency performance metrics such as the noise figure and the dynamic range. However, to date, these aspects have not been achieved simultaneously in a single circuit. Here, we report a multi-functional photonic integrated circuit that enables programmable filtering functions with record-high performance. We demonstrate reconfigurable filter functions with record-low noise figure and a RF notch filter with ultra-high dynamic range. We achieve this unique feature using versatile complex spectrum tailoring enabled by an all integrated modulation transformer and a double injection ring resonator as a multi-function optical filtering component. Our work breaks the conventional and fragmented approach of integration, functionality and performance that currently prevents the adoption of integrated MWP systems in real applications.

Biocompatible zinc battery with programmable electro-cross-linked electrolyte.

Aqueous zinc batteries (ZBs) attract increasing attention for potential applications in modern wearable and implantable devices due to their safety and stability. However, challenges associated with biosafety designs and the intrinsic electrochemistry of ZBs emerge when moving to practice, especially for biomedical devices. Here, we propose a green and programmable electro-cross-linking strategy to in situ prepare a multi-layer hierarchical Zn-alginate polymer electrolyte (Zn-Alg) via the superionic binds between the carboxylate groups and Zn2+. Consequently, the Zn-Alg electrolyte provides high reversibility of 99.65% Coulombic efficiency (CE), >500h of long-time stability and high biocompatibility (no damage to gastric and duodenal mucosa) in the body. A wire-shaped Zn/Zn-Alg/α-MnO2 full battery affords 95% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1 A g-1 and good flexibility. The new strategy has three prominent advantages over the conventional methods: (i) the cross-linking process for the synthesis of electrolytes avoids the introduction of any chemical reagents or initiators; (ii) a highly reversible Zn battery is easily provided from a micrometer to large scales through automatic programmable functions; and (iii) high biocompatibility is capable of implanted and bio-integrated devices to ensure body safety.

Biofabrication of synthetic human liver tissue with advanced programmable functions.

Advances in cellular engineering, as well as gene, and cell therapy, may be used toproduce human tissues with programmable genetically enhanced functions designed to model and/or treat specific diseases. Fabrication of synthetic human liver tissue with these programmable functions has not been described. By generating human iPSCs with target gene expression controlled by a guide RNA-directed CRISPR-Cas9 synergistic-activation-mediator, we produced synthetic human liver tissues with programmable functions. Such iPSCs were guide-RNA-treated to enhance expression of the clinically relevant CYP3A4 and UGT1A1 genes, and after hepatocyte-directed differentiation, cells demonstrated enhanced functions compared to those found in primary human hepatocytes. We then generated human liver tissue with these synthetic human iPSC-derived hepatocytes (iHeps) and other non-parenchymal cells demonstrating advanced programmable functions. Fabrication of synthetic human liver tissue with modifiable functional genetic programs may be a useful tool for drug discovery, investigating biology, and potentially creating bioengineered organs with specialized functions.

Programmable low-power consumption all-optical nonlinear activation functions using a micro-ring resonator with phase-change materials.

A programmable hardware implementation of all-optical nonlinear activation functions for different scenarios and applications in all-optical neural networks is essential. We demonstrate a programmable, low-loss all-optical activation function device based on a silicon micro-ring resonator loaded with phase change materials. Four different nonlinear activation functions of Relu, ELU, Softplus and radial basis functions are implemented for incident signal light of the same wavelength. The maximum power consumption required to switch between the four different nonlinear activation functions in calculation is only 1.748 nJ. The simulation of classification of hand-written digit images also shows that they can perform well as alternative nonlinear activation functions. The device we design can serve as nonlinear units in photonic neural networks, while its nonlinear transfer function can be flexibly programmed to optimize the performance of different neuromorphic tasks.