Adaptive spiking, itinerancy, and quantum effects in artificial neuron circuit hardware with niobium–hafnium oxide-niobium memristor devices inserted

To improve artificial intelligence/autonomous systems and help with treating neurological conditions, there is a requirement for the discovery and design of artificial neuron hardware that mimics the advanced functionality and operation of the neural networks available in biological organisms. We examine experimental artificial neuron circuits that we designed and built in hardware with memristor devices using 4.2 nm of hafnium oxide and niobium metal inserted in the positive and negative feedback of an oscillator. At room temperature, these artificial neurons have adaptive a spiking behavior and hybrid non-chaotic/chaotic modes. When networked, they output with strong itinerancy, and we demonstrate a four-neuron learning network and modulation of signals. The superconducting state at 8.1 K results in Josephson tunneling with signs that the hafnium oxide ionic states are influenced by quantum control effects in accordance with quantum master equation calculations of the expectation values and correlation functions with a calibrated time-dependent Hamiltonian. These results are of importance to continue advancing neuromorphic hardware technologies that integrate memristors and other memory devices for many biological-inspired applications and beyond that can function with adaptive-itinerant spiking and quantum effects in their principles of operation.