Light-Induced Neuron-Like Bursting and Oscillatory Dynamics in Neuromorphic Photonic Micropillars

Neuromorphic photonic systems inspired by biological sensory neurons, Fig. 1(a), present promising avenues for low-power, real-time sensory data processing [1], [2]. In this work, we introduce a novel artificial sensory neuron, Fig. 1(b), which utilizes III-V semiconductor micropillars integrated with quantum resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) and GaAs photosensitive layers [3]. These neuromorphic devices transduce analog near-infrared optical stimuli into spatiotemporal electrical oscillations. Upon near-infrared illumination at wavelengths ~830 nm, a region of negative differential resistance (NDR) is activated, Fig. 1(b), enabling sensory amplification and encoding of optical inputs into electrical bursts.