Memory-electroluminescence for multiple action-potentials combination in bio-inspired afferent nerves

Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 25;15(1):3505. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47641-6.

Abstract

The development of optoelectronics mimicking the functions of the biological nervous system is important to artificial intelligence. This work demonstrates an optoelectronic, artificial, afferent-nerve strategy based on memory-electroluminescence spikes, which can realize multiple action-potentials combination through a single optical channel. The memory-electroluminescence spikes have diverse morphologies due to their history-dependent characteristics and can be used to encode distributed sensor signals. As the key to successful functioning of the optoelectronic, artificial afferent nerve, a driving mode for light-emitting diodes, namely, the non-carrier injection mode, is proposed, allowing it to drive nanoscale light-emitting diodes to generate a memory-electroluminescence spikes that has multiple sub-peaks. Moreover, multiplexing of the spikes can be obtained by using optical signals with different wavelengths, allowing for a large signal bandwidth, and the multiple action-potentials transmission process in afferent nerves can be demonstrated. Finally, sensor-position recognition with the bio-inspired afferent nerve is developed and shown to have a high recognition accuracy of 98.88%. This work demonstrates a strategy for mimicking biological afferent nerves and offers insights into the construction of artificial perception systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials* / physiology
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Biomimetics / methods
  • Humans
  • Luminescence
  • Neurons, Afferent / physiology