Goi et al. PhotoniX (2020) 1:3 https://doi.org/10.1186/s43074-020-0001-6 PhotoniX REVIEW Open Access Perspective on photonic memristive neuromorphic computing Elena Goi1,2, Qiming Zhang1,2, Xi Chen1,2, Haitao Luan1,2 and Min Gu1,2* * Correspondence:
[email protected]. cn Abstract 1Laboratory of Artificial-Intelligence Nanophotonics, School of Science, Neuromorphic computing applies concepts extracted from neuroscience to develop RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria devices shaped like neural systems and achieve brain-like capacity and efficiency. In 3001, Australia this way, neuromorphic machines, able to learn from the surrounding environment 2Centre for Artificial-Intelligence Nanophotonics, School of to deduce abstract concepts and to make decisions, promise to start a technological Optical-Electrical and Computer revolution transforming our society and our life. Current electronic implementations Engineering, University of Shanghai of neuromorphic architectures are still far from competing with their biological for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China counterparts in terms of real-time information-processing capabilities, packing density and energy efficiency. A solution to this impasse is represented by the application of photonic principles to the neuromorphic domain creating in this way the field of neuromorphic photonics. This new field combines the advantages of photonics and neuromorphic architectures to build systems with high efficiency, high interconnectivity and high information density, and paves the way to ultrafast, power efficient and low cost and complex signal processing. In this Perspective, we review the rapid development of the neuromorphic computing field both in the electronic and in the photonic domain focusing on the role and the applications of memristors.