Transforming AI Hardware: IISc’s Neuromorphic Computing Platform Sets New Benchmark
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a brain-inspired analog computing platform capable of storing and processing data in an astonishing 16,500 conductance states within a molecular film. Such a platform could potentially bring complex AI tasks, like training Large Language Models (LLMs), to personal devices like laptops and smartphones, thus taking us closer to democratising the development of AI tools, according to an official statement.
These developments are currently restricted to resource-heavy data centres due to a lack of energy-efficient hardware. With silicon electronics nearing saturation, designing brain-inspired accelerators that can work alongside silicon chips to deliver faster, more efficient AI is also becoming crucial.
Published in the Nature journal, this breakthrough represents a huge step forward over traditional digital computers in which data storage and processing are limited to just two states.
Neuromorphic Computing Gets a Boost
“Neuromorphic computing has had its fair share of unsolved challenges for over a decade,” explains Assistant Professor at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), IISc, who led the research team Sreetosh Goswami . “With this discovery, we have almost nailed the perfect system – a rare feat.”
The fundamental operation underlying most AI algorithms is quite basic—matrix multiplication, a concept taught in high school math. But in digital computers, these calculations hog a lot of energy. The platform developed by the IISc team drastically cuts down both the time and energy involved, making these calculations much faster and easier.
The Molecular Diary
The molecular system at the heart of the platform was designed by a Visiting Professor at CeNSE Sreebrata Goswami. As molecules and ions wiggle and move within a material film, they create countless unique memory states, many of which have been inaccessible so far. Most digital devices can only access two states (high and low conductance) without being able to tap into the infinite number of intermediate states possible.
By using precisely timed voltage pulses, the IISc team found a way to effectively trace a much larger number of molecular movements and map each to a distinct electrical signal, forming an extensive “molecular diary” of different states. “This project brought together the precision of electrical engineering with the creativity of chemistry, letting us control molecular kinetics very precisely inside an electronic circuit powered by nanosecond voltage pulses,” explains Sreebrata Goswami.
Tapping into these tiny molecular changes allowed the team to create a highly precise and efficient neuromorphic accelerator. Similar to the human brain, such accelerators can store and process data within the same location and seamlessly integrate silicon circuits to boost their performance and energy efficiency.
Overcoming Challenges, Achieving Breakthroughs in Neuromorphic Computing
A key challenge the team faced was characterising the various conductance states, which proved impossible using existing equipment. The team designed a custom circuit board that could measure voltages as tiny as a millionth of a volt to pinpoint these individual states with unprecedented accuracy.
The team also turned this scientific discovery into a technological feat. They recreated NASA’s iconic “Pillars of Creation” image from the James Webb Space Telescope data—originally created by a supercomputer—using just a tabletop computer. They did this at a fraction of the time and energy that traditional computers would need.
The team includes several students and research fellows at IISc. Deepak Sharma performed the circuit and system design and electrical characterisation, Santi Prasad Rath handled synthesis and fabrication, Bidyabhusan Kundu tackled the mathematical modelling, and Harivignesh S crafted bio-inspired neuronal response behaviour. The team also collaborated with a Professor at Texas A&M University, Stanley Williams and a Professor at the University of Limerick Damien Thompson.
Transforming India into a Global AI Leader
The researchers believe this breakthrough could be one of India’s most significant leaps in AI hardware, putting the country on the map of global technology innovation. a professor at CeNSE and an expert in silicon electronics, Navakanta Bhat led this project’s circuit and system design. “What stands out is how we have transformed complex physics and chemistry understanding into groundbreaking technology for AI hardware,” he explains. “In the context of the India Semiconductor Mission, this development could be a game-changer, revolutionising industrial, consumer and strategic applications. The national importance of such research cannot be overstated.”
