Nano-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Integrated Oscillator Arrays for Energy-Efficient Physical Reservoir Computing (NOEMIA)

全球能源生产的很大一部分是由信息和通信技术（ICT）消耗的，随着人工智能（AI）的迅速和广泛采用，对高功耗的复杂机器学习模型的需求正在增加，这种消耗将进一步加速。NOEMIA项目旨在通过使用纳米光电机械系统（NOEMS）技术开发一种全新的节能硬件替代机器学习。在项目时间表内，NOEMIA的目标是提供世界上第一个纳米光电机械（NOEM）耦合振荡器阵列，该阵列集成了通过硅兼容技术制造的GeSn光电探测器。硅光子学元件与纳米机械振荡器的主动集成将使我们能够以优异的灵敏度和最小的能量损失检测亚西北向振荡。系统的动态行为和可扩展性将在理论上进行探索，设备和材料级的系统可调性将被研究用于物理油藏计算的应用，这是一种快速、简单和节能的机器学习选择。NOEMIA项目（总计116万欧元）在欧盟CHIST-ERA计划中获得批准，项目财团由来自5个不同国家的5个机构组成，具有互补的专业知识。该项目的牵头方英国南安普顿大学（UOS）提供纳米器件制造和先进纳米光子学方面的强大专业知识，法国的微型电子与纳米技术研究所（IEMN）提供MEMS技术和光电表征方面的技能。台湾的国立台湾大学（NTU）贡献了他们的硅光子学和GeSn光电探测器专业知识，拉脱维亚的里加技术大学（RTU）进行了激光退火和材料改性。捷克科学院热力学研究所领导了非线性振子的理论研究。由独特的跨学科NOEMIA联盟成功演示的新型NOEM集成振荡器阵列将对下一代人工智能硬件的发展产生重大影响，这是ICT中最令人兴奋的研究领域之一。

A significant percentage of the global energy production is consumed by Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and the consumption will be further accelerated with rapid and broad adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) where demand on complex machine learning models with high power consumption is increasing. The NOEMIA project aims to develop a fundamentally novel energy-efficient hardware alternative for machine learning by using Nano-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NOEMS) technology. Within the project timeline, NOEMIA targets to deliver a world-first Nano-Opto-Electro-Mechanical (NOEM) coupled oscillator array integrated with GeSn photodetectors fabricated via silicon-compatible technologies. Active integration of silicon photonics components with nanomechanical oscillators will allow us to detect sub-nW oscillation with excellent sensitivity and with minimal energy loss. The dynamic behaviour and scalability of the systems will be explored theoretically and device and material-level system tunability will be investigated towards the application for physical reservoir computing, a fast, simple, and energy-efficient option of machine learning.The NOEMIA project (1.16M EUR in total) is approved in the EU CHIST-ERA scheme, and the project consortium consists of 5 institutions from 5 different countries with complementary expertise. The project lead, University of Southampton (UOS) in the UK offers strong expertise of nanodevice fabrication and advanced nanophotonics, and Institut d'électronique de microélectronique et de nanotechnologie (IEMN) in France provides skills of MEMS technology and opto-electro-mechanical characterisation. National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taiwan contributes with their Si photonics and GeSn photodetector expertise, and laser annealing and material modification are conducted by Riga Technical University (RTU) in Latvia. The Institute of Thermomechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Czech Republic leads theoretical investigation of nonlinear oscillators. Successful demonstration of novel NOEM integrated oscillator arrays by the unique and interdisciplinary NOEMIA consortium will make a significant impact on the development of next generation AI hardware, one of the most exciting research fields in ICT.