Designing artificial sodium ion reservoirs to emulate biological synapses

Emulating neurons/synapses in the brain is an important step to realizing highly efficient computers. This fact makes neuromorphic devices important emerging solutions to the limitations imposed by the current computing architecture. To mimic synaptic functions in the brain, it is critical to replicate ionic movements in the nervous system. It is therefore important to note that ions move easily in liquids. In this study, we demonstrate a liquid-based neuromorphic device that is capable of mimicking the movement of ions in the nervous system by controlling Na+ movement in an aqueous solution. The concentration of Na+ in the solution can control the ionic conductivity of the device. The device shows short-term and long-term plasticity such as excitatory postsynaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation, potentiation, and depression, which are key properties for memorization and computation in the brain. This device has the potential to overcome the limitations of current von Neumann architecture-based computing systems and substantially advance the technology of neuromorphic computing.