Analog Signal Summation for Reinforcement Learning via Simultaneous Light–Voltage Modulation in a Synaptic Device
Major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence software have led to significant transformations across various aspects of life. However, hardware development has lagged behind, primarily due to the inherent constraints of the von Neumann architecture. Although neuromorphic devices that utilize biomimetic parallel and analog computations have emerged, they still face limitations in reducing computational load. Therefore, this study proposes a light-voltage dual-modulating synaptic transistor that can significantly lower computational load through device-level computing. This is realized using a hybrid structure of indium-gallium-zinc-oxide and InAs quantum dots, which enable two distinct memory effects ‒ one induced by light and the other by voltage ‒ within a single device. These dual-modulation capabilities are leveraged to demonstrate traffic signal optimization using a Dueling Deep Q-Network, achieving computation performance comparable to ideal software conditions. These findings highlight the potential of the fabricated device for realizing computing systems that require high energy efficiency and computational density.
Authors
- Sinil Choi
- Dong Gue Roe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2889-3379)
- Meeree Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9183-0517)
- Youngjae Yoo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3276-389X)
- Jeong Ho Cho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1030-9920)
- Hyunsu Ju (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2453-5021)
- Jeong Won Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5881-9911)
- Sohee Jeong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9863-1374)
- Soyeon Cheon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2838-3720)
- Subeen Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3332-2829)
- Seongil Im
Institutions
- SK Group (South Korea) (KR)
- Yonsei University (KR)
- Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KR)
- Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
- Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
- Chung-Ang University (KR)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Sungkyunkwan University (KR)
- Korea University of Science and Technology (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Published
- 2025-12-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202521293
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Memory and Neural Computing
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Research Foundation
- Korea Institute of Science and Technology
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea
- Institute for Information and Communications Technology Promotion