Information Representation and Computation in the Time Domain

随着半导体技术中的关键尺寸继续扩展到纳米级，器件速度正在显著提高，电源电压正在非常显著地下降，而阈值电压却没有那么大幅度地降低。技术扩展和相关电源电压的降低有助于降低数字IC的功耗，同时仍允许提高时钟频率。对于模拟前端电路，电源扩展正在成为一个基本限制。这些电路提供了模拟物理世界和数字信号处理体系结构之间不可或缺的接口。由于纳米级半导体中电源的大幅降低，信号幅度的降低导致模拟电路的精度显著降低。对于1~V以下的端到端信号处理，需要一种新的方法，而不是受到消失的电压净空的限制，必须使用现象级器件速度的出现。一种范式的转变是有序的--不再在幅度域编码信息，而是采用时间域编码。该研究为信息在时间域中的表示和计算探索了新的理论基础。主要研究内容包括：(I)时间域中的信息表示与信号恢复；(Ii)时间域中的计算；(Iii)实时算法与鲁棒性。该研究将一维时间相关信号的表示扩展到二维和三维时空信号。通过添加一个或两个空间维度，受内耳和视网膜启发的语音和视频处理模型，可以探索两个关键的自然感觉系统。这个项目的智力优势在于设计了一种独特的时间域计算方法，该方法受到自然感觉系统中产生的模型的启发，并建立在尖端数学建模的坚实理论基础上。拟议活动的更广泛影响包括(I)在神经科学和纳米技术的十字路口探索巨大的潜力，以及(Ii)一个跨学科的本科生顶峰实验室项目和一个研究生水平的课程。在建议的支持水平下，PI将尽一切努力满足该项目最初的努力范围和水平。

As the critical dimensions in semiconductor technologies continue to scale into the nanoscale regime, device speeds are increasing significantly, the supply voltage is decreasing very significantly while the threshold voltage is not being reduced as aggressively. Technology scaling and the associated reduction of the supply voltageleads to a reduction of power consumption for digital ICs while still allowing the clock rate to increase. For analog front-end circuits power supply scaling is becoming a fundamental limitation. These circuits provide the indispensable interface between the analog physical world and the digital signal processing architecture. The reduction of the signal amplitude, due to drastically lower power supplies in nanoscale semiconductors, results in a very significant reduction in the accuracy of the analog circuits. A novel approach is needed for end-to-end signal processing below 1~V. Rather than being limited by the disappearing voltage headroom, the emergence of phenomenal devicespeeds has to be used. A paradigm shift is in order - instead of encoding information in the amplitude domain, time domain encoding should be employed.The research investigates a new theoretical foundation for the representation and computation of information in the time domain. Three main research themes are studied:(i) Information Representation and Signal Recovery in the Time Domain,(ii) Computation in the Time Domain, and(iii) Real-Time Algorithms and Robustness.The research extends the representation of one dimensional time dependentsignals to two and three dimensional space-time signals. By adding one or two spatialdimensions, models of speech and video processing inspired by the inner ear and the retina, two of the key natural sensory systems can be explored. The intellectual merit of this project is in devising an unique approach for computation in the time domain that is inspired by models arising in natural sensory systems and is established on soundtheoretical foundations of cutting edge mathematical modeling. The broader impacts of the proposed activity include (i) an exploration of the vast potential in the crossroads of neuroscience and nanotechnology, and (ii) an interdisciplinary undergraduate capstone lab project and a graduate level course.LEVEL OF EFFORT===============At the recommended level of support, the PI will make every effort to meet the originalscope and level of effort of the project.