A high-performance training-free pipeline for robust random telegraph signal characterization via adaptive wavelet-based denoising and Bayesian digitization methods

Random telegraph signal (RTS) analysis is increasingly important for characterizing meaningful temporal fluctuations in physical, chemical, and biological systems. The simplest RTS arises from discrete stochastic switching events between two binary states, quantified by their transition amplitude and dwell times in each state. Quantitative analysis of RTSs provides valuable insights into microscopic processes such as charge trapping in semiconductors. However, analyzing RTS becomes considerably complex when signals exhibit multi-level structures or are corrupted by background white or pink noise. To address these challenges and support high-throughput RTS characterization, we propose a modular, training-free signal processing pipeline that integrates adaptive dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) denoising with a lightweight Bayesian digitization strategy. The adaptive DTCWT denoiser incorporates autonomous parameter selection rules for its decomposition level and thresholds, optimizing white noise suppression without manual tuning. Complementing this stage, our Bayesian digitizer formulates RTS level assignment as a probabilistic latent-state inference problem incorporating temporal regularization without iterative optimization, effectively resolving binary trap states even under residual notorious background pink noise. Quantitative benchmarking on large synthetic datasets with known ground truth demonstrates improved RTS reconstruction accuracy, trap-state resolution, and dwell-time estimation across diverse noise regimes and multi-trap scenarios, while achieving up to 83× speedups over classical and neural baselines. Qualitative validation on experimental RTS data when no ground truth is available illustrates practical usability and flexibility for real-time or large-scale analysis in real measurement settings. Together, the proposed framework establishes a scalable and reproducible foundation for autonomous RTS analysis and systematic benchmarking, with potential to support future extensions toward more complex and device-specific RTS studies.

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Publication Details

Journal
Scientific Reports
Published
2026-02-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-36656-2
Primary Topic
Sparse and Compressive Sensing Techniques
Type
article
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article

A high-performance training-free pipeline for robust random telegraph signal characterization via adaptive wavelet-based denoising and Bayesian digitization methods

Tonghe Bai, Na Young Kim, Ayush Kapoor
Scientific Reports
Sparse and Compressive Sensing Techniques
article

A high-performance training-free pipeline for robust random telegraph signal characterization via adaptive wavelet-based denoising and Bayesian digitization methods

Tonghe Bai, Na Young Kim, Ayush Kapoor
article en

Abstract

Random telegraph signal (RTS) analysis is increasingly important for characterizing meaningful temporal fluctuations in physical, chemical, and biological systems. The simplest RTS arises from discrete stochastic switching events between two binary states, quantified by their transition amplitude and dwell times in each state. Quantitative analysis of RTSs provides valuable insights into microscopic processes such as charge trapping in semiconductors. However, analyzing RTS becomes considerably complex when signals exhibit multi-level structures or are corrupted by background white or pink noise. To address these challenges and support high-throughput RTS characterization, we propose a modular, training-free signal processing pipeline that integrates adaptive dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) denoising with a lightweight Bayesian digitization strategy. The adaptive DTCWT denoiser incorporates autonomous parameter selection rules for its decomposition level and thresholds, optimizing white noise suppression without manual tuning. Complementing this stage, our Bayesian digitizer formulates RTS level assignment as a probabilistic latent-state inference problem incorporating temporal regularization without iterative optimization, effectively resolving binary trap states even under residual notorious background pink noise. Quantitative benchmarking on large synthetic datasets with known ground truth demonstrates improved RTS reconstruction accuracy, trap-state resolution, and dwell-time estimation across diverse noise regimes and multi-trap scenarios, while achieving up to 83× speedups over classical and neural baselines. Qualitative validation on experimental RTS data when no ground truth is available illustrates practical usability and flexibility for real-time or large-scale analysis in real measurement settings. Together, the proposed framework establishes a scalable and reproducible foundation for autonomous RTS analysis and systematic benchmarking, with potential to support future extensions toward more complex and device-specific RTS studies.

Scientific ReportsVol. 16(1)
University of Waterloo (CA)
Openalex Percentile: Top 62%
Sparse and Compressive Sensing Techniques
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