A Scalable Neuristor Based on a Half-Wave Memristor Emulator

Abstract

The neuristor based on memristors can be used to mimic synapse and neurons of biological neural systems, and it is the key unit of spiking neural networks. However, the resistance states of realistic memristors are nonvolatile, which is not conducive to mimicking the forgetting function of the brain. Given that the resistance states of memristor emulators are volatile after power down, this paper exhibits a scalable neuristor built with a half-wave memristor emulator. The proposed neuristor demonstrates four critical features for action-potential-based computing: the all-or-nothing spiking of an action potential, threshold-driven spiking, diverse periodic spiking and symmetric anti-Hebbian learning rule of spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Particularly, there are no complex shape and duration constraints on pre- and post-spikes for implementing the symmetric anti-Hebbian learning rule.