| Jul 07, 2026 |
A device that behaves like a single neuron
Nanoscale structure made from inorganic material could be used to improve artificial retinas and to make AI more efficient.
(Nanowerk News) McGill University researchers have developed a light-detecting nanoscale structure that mimics how a neuron processes information. The neuron-like behaviour emerges from the materials themselves, reducing the energy demand associated with similar devices that rely on circuits or software.
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The findings have been published in Nanoscale ("Nanowire photodetectors: path to single physical artificial neurons").
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Instead of capturing data first and processing it elsewhere, the device senses and interprets light in the same place, similarly to how the eye processes visual information.
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The researchers say the discovery could increase the efficiency of such vision-based technologies as artificial retinas and smart optical sensors. It could also transform how artificial neural networks (ANNs), a foundation of machine learning, are built.
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“In our paper, using unique materials and nanostructure, we made for the first time a device that can closely mimic the neuron dynamics we’d see in a biological context,” said Songrui Zhao, lead author and Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
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Layered device responds to light
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The researchers built the device by engineering layers of atoms using a technique called molecular beam epitaxy. They then exposed it to light with different colours, intensities and timing patterns, measuring how the electrical signals inside the material changed in response.
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By analyzing these signals over time, they showed that the device can combine incoming inputs, store information briefly and trigger a response once a certain threshold is reached. This resembles how a single neuron processes information, demonstrating that such behaviour can emerge directly from the physics of the material, rather than from software or complex circuitry.
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“By carefully engineering the layers, we created a device with a tunable response to light, which forms the basis for emulating how a single neuron behaves,” Zhao said. “We were able to design the flow of electrical current to produce the behaviour we wanted.”
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Building neural networks from the ground up
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Because ANNs are built from many connected neurons, the device could offer a new way to construct these systems, the researchers said.
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“A single artificial neuron is like a cell you can use as a building block, allowing us to construct networks from the bottom up,” Zhao said. “It’s a bit of a crazy idea – to create something like a biological system using an inorganic material.”
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Such an approach could lead to more efficient forms of information processing, with potential applications in such areas as advanced computing.
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Zhao said future studies will expand the device’s light response range and performance and explore applications such as data encryption, where processing information directly at the sensor could improve security.
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