Optical realization of bioinspired spiking neurons in the electron trapping material thin film.

A thin film of electron-trapping material (ETM), when combined with suitable optical bistability, is considered as a medium for optical implementation of bioinspired neural nets. The optical mechanism of ETM under blue light and near-infrared exposure has the inherent ability at the material level to mimic the crucial components of the stylized Hodgkin-Huxley model of biological neurons. Combining this unique property with the high-resolution capability of ETM, a dense network of bioinspired neurons can be realized in a thin film of this infrared stimulable storage phosphor. When combined with suitable optical bistability and optical interconnectivity, it has the potential of producing an artificial nonlinear excitable medium analog to cortical tissue.