Research on Functional Development of Atomic Switches

进行了原子开关的功能开发研究，其中使用固体电化学反应控制两个电极之间的金属原子桥的形成和湮灭。开发的功能之一是学习能力，它存储信息而不改变输出信号，直到一定数量的输入信号到来，然后当一定数量的输入信号到来时，它打开原子开关。还开发了易失性/非易失性选择操作，其中易失性操作随着电源切断而丢失信息，而非易失性操作即使在电源切断之后也保持信息。这些新功能有望为神经系统等新型计算机的开发做出贡献。

Research on functional development of atomic switches, in which formation and annihilation of a metal atom bridge between two electrodes is controlled using solid electrochemical reaction, was carried out. One of the developed functions is a learning ability that stores information without any change in the output signals until a certain number of input signals comes, then it turns the atomic switch on when the certain number of input signals comes. Volatile/nonvolatile selective operation has been also developed, in which the volatile operation loses the information with cut-off of the power supply while the nonvolatile operation keeps the information even after the cut-off of the power supply. These new functions are expected to contribute to the development of new types of computers such as neural systems.