E. Hua
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Sub-100-μV Cryogenic Biasing with Low-Noise Multilevel Memristors
Pt-Interface Tuning for Scalable Qubit Control
We demonstrate Pt/HfO2/Pt/Ti/Pt memristors enabling sub-100 μV cryogenic biasing for scalable qubit control. Compared with pure Pt-based stacks, the Pt-interface-engineered lowers the effective barrier by approximately 0.3 eV, achieving bipolar switching, read-noise ≤0.32% at approximately 4.0 K. Monte-Carlo analysis confirms bias resolution < 100 μV in a six-device programmable-gain amplifier (PGA), validating that interface-engineer can path the way for cryogenic memristors-based wiring bottleneck compared with Au/Pt-based memristors for cryo-compatible analog memory applications.
PdNeuRAM
Forming-free, multi-bit Pd/HfO2 ReRAM for energy-efficient neuromorphic computing
Addressing non-idealities in Resistive Random Access Memories (RRAMs) is crucial for their successful commercialization. For example, the inherent resistance drift that occurs during consecutive read operations can induce Read Disturb Faults (RDF), leading to functional errors. This paper analyzes and characterizes the resistance drift and the RDF based on data measurements and presents a physics-based RRAM compact model that incorporates these non-idealities. Additionally, an in-field mitigation scheme is proposed, leveraging bidirectional read operations to balance the resistance. The scheme is implemented and validated through circuit simulations, both for RRAM used as memory and for RRAM-based computation-in-memory microarchitectures for deep neural networks. The results demonstrate that RRAM without any mitigation scheme can start failing after 8,000 consecutive reads, while our mitigation scheme ensures that the memory remains functional even after 106 consecutive reads. Furthermore, the results indicate that using the MNIST dataset as a case study, the accuracy can drop significantly from 86% to as low as 12.5% without any mitigation scheme. In contrast, the proposed mitigation scheme improves this accuracy up to 84.2%.
We demonstrate interface-enhanced memristors (OxReRAM) tailored for cryogenic spin-qubit control. By engineering a sparse filament network, our devices achieve eight nonvolatile resistance levels with an ultra-low read noise rate of around 0.3 %. When embedded in a cryogenic gain stage with RL = 30 kΩ and Vin = 0.3 V, it will deliver a ±1 V output range and sub-100-μV resolution using only six memristors per channel. This single-line biasing architecture will reduce wires, paving the way for large-scalce quantum processors.
Memristors for classical and quantum applications
Materials, devices, machine learning
We begin by identifying a threefold bottleneck at the heart of contemporary information processing. On one hand, the von Neumann architecture separates memory from logic, incurring high energy and latency costs. On another, quantum systems, with their exponentially expanding state spaces, defy conventional methods of characterization and control. Bridging these extremes demands both new materials and new paradigms: architectures that think and learn within memory itself and operate seamlessly across room-temperature and cryogenic domains. Our mission is to forge a unified computing framework that fuses neuromorphic principles, cryogenic and room-temperature memristors, and machine intelligence with quantum state tomography (QST).
The conceptual groundwork follows. Inspired by biological neurons, we explore how computation and memory can coexist within memristive architectures. Memristors, particularly resistive switching devices such as HfO2-based ReRAM, emulate synaptic plasticity, enabling analog tuning and in-memory processing. We investigate both spiking and non-spiking neural models, contextualizing their use in QST. The core idea of computation-in-memory (CiM) emerges, performing neural operations directly within dense memristor crossbars, bypassing the von Neumann bottleneck. This unifying concept becomes the architectural backbone of our hybrid classical–quantum platform.
Our theoretical framework spans silicon physics, memristive mechanisms, and the formalism of quantum state reconstruction. We dissect electron-beam-induced processing (EBIP) as a route to room-temperature silicon device fabrication. We examine the physics of OxReRAM switching, ion migration, interfacial engineering, and energy barriers, and we extend this understanding to cryogenic regimes. In parallel, we articulate the formal structure of QST, density matrices, POVMs, and data scaling as 4^N for N qubits, where neural networks emerge as natural generative or inference engines. Variational autoencoders, especially spiking VAEs (SVAEs), form the probabilistic bridge between neuromorphic learning and quantum reconstruction. The materials narrative begins with innovation in silicon processing. Abandoning high-temperature furnaces, we deploy spin-coated liquid polysilanes and transform them into functional amorphous silicon films via focused EBIP. STEM–EELS imaging, residual-gas analysis, and electrical characterization confirm uniform, low-defect films exhibiting stable ohmic behavior over months. This approach enables nanoscale precision and compatibility with flexible substrates, key for next-generation neuromorphic hardware.
ReRAM devices, long hampered by high-voltage electroforming and poor uniformity, are re-engineered. By designing Pd/HfO2 interfaces, we realize forming-free OxReRAM cells that switch at sub-2V, support multibit states, and retain data over 10^4 s. Atomic-scale analysis reveals a Pd–O–Hf interfacial layer that stabilizes low-bias conductive pathways. These devices achieve endurance and energy consumption in the picojoule range, validating them as efficient synaptic elements for in-memory computing. At cryogenic temperatures, the same memristive principles enable a new frontier: Cryo-Memristors for spin-qubit control. Operating reliably at 4 K, Pt/Ti/HfO2-based memristors and their modified variants (M-PtHT) serve as low-noise, multi-bit programmable gain elements for scalable quantum control electronics. Embedded near the quantum layer, these devices synthesize analog bias voltages with sub-100\,µV resolution, drastically reducing the wiring complexity, heat load, and latency in large-scale qubit arrays. Statistical analysis shows linear resistance variation and stable multi-bit retention even at 4\,K, confirming their potential as cryogenic analog memory elements for autonomous qubit tuning and adaptive quantum feedback. This chapter bridges device physics and quantum hardware, demonstrating that memristive programmability can extend beyond neuromorphic computing into the quantum domain.
We confront QST through the lens of machine learning. A diverse suite of neural architectures, FCN, CNN, RNN, RBM, CGAN, and Transformer, is deployed to reconstruct quantum states from simulated measurement data. Among them, CNNs deliver the best trade-off between fidelity and computational time, especially under expectation-based measurements. Yet, the SVAE architecture marks a turning point: as a generative probabilistic model, it achieves high-fidelity reconstructions even under sparse and noisy data, generalizing to higher qubit counts (up to 8) and scaling sub-exponentially in runtime. Its latent-space encoding of high-dimensional quantum information renders it ideal for real-time, energy-efficient inference when implemented on memristive crossbars. Simulations incorporating real device characteristics confirm that our forming-free and cryogenic OxReRAM-based CiM arrays can physically sustain deep QST networks. Memristor crossbars perform rapid in-memory matrix–vector multiplications, reducing inference energy by orders of magnitude compared to digital processors. Together, these results establish a scalable, hardware-aware path toward hybrid classical–neuromorphic–quantum computing.
We conclude by reflecting on the broader implications. This work demonstrates that room-temperature EBIP enables sustainable silicon fabrication; that forming-free OxReRAM devices can be engineered for reliable analog switching; that Cryo-Memristors enable scalable, low-power qubit control; and that generative neural networks, especially SVAEs, offer a pathway to efficient, hardware-embedded quantum state reconstruction. Looking ahead, these innovations converge toward cryogenic integration with quantum processors, adaptive quantum feedback via spiking neuromorphic circuits, and the eventual realization of intelligent, energy-aware quantum systems.
Through every chapter, one theme resounds: the dissolution of boundaries, between memory and logic, between classical and quantum, between matter and model. This thesis lays the foundation for a new kind of computing, one that learns like the brain, reasons like a physicist, and computes like the future demands. ...
We begin by identifying a threefold bottleneck at the heart of contemporary information processing. On one hand, the von Neumann architecture separates memory from logic, incurring high energy and latency costs. On another, quantum systems, with their exponentially expanding state spaces, defy conventional methods of characterization and control. Bridging these extremes demands both new materials and new paradigms: architectures that think and learn within memory itself and operate seamlessly across room-temperature and cryogenic domains. Our mission is to forge a unified computing framework that fuses neuromorphic principles, cryogenic and room-temperature memristors, and machine intelligence with quantum state tomography (QST).
The conceptual groundwork follows. Inspired by biological neurons, we explore how computation and memory can coexist within memristive architectures. Memristors, particularly resistive switching devices such as HfO2-based ReRAM, emulate synaptic plasticity, enabling analog tuning and in-memory processing. We investigate both spiking and non-spiking neural models, contextualizing their use in QST. The core idea of computation-in-memory (CiM) emerges, performing neural operations directly within dense memristor crossbars, bypassing the von Neumann bottleneck. This unifying concept becomes the architectural backbone of our hybrid classical–quantum platform.
Our theoretical framework spans silicon physics, memristive mechanisms, and the formalism of quantum state reconstruction. We dissect electron-beam-induced processing (EBIP) as a route to room-temperature silicon device fabrication. We examine the physics of OxReRAM switching, ion migration, interfacial engineering, and energy barriers, and we extend this understanding to cryogenic regimes. In parallel, we articulate the formal structure of QST, density matrices, POVMs, and data scaling as 4^N for N qubits, where neural networks emerge as natural generative or inference engines. Variational autoencoders, especially spiking VAEs (SVAEs), form the probabilistic bridge between neuromorphic learning and quantum reconstruction. The materials narrative begins with innovation in silicon processing. Abandoning high-temperature furnaces, we deploy spin-coated liquid polysilanes and transform them into functional amorphous silicon films via focused EBIP. STEM–EELS imaging, residual-gas analysis, and electrical characterization confirm uniform, low-defect films exhibiting stable ohmic behavior over months. This approach enables nanoscale precision and compatibility with flexible substrates, key for next-generation neuromorphic hardware.
ReRAM devices, long hampered by high-voltage electroforming and poor uniformity, are re-engineered. By designing Pd/HfO2 interfaces, we realize forming-free OxReRAM cells that switch at sub-2V, support multibit states, and retain data over 10^4 s. Atomic-scale analysis reveals a Pd–O–Hf interfacial layer that stabilizes low-bias conductive pathways. These devices achieve endurance and energy consumption in the picojoule range, validating them as efficient synaptic elements for in-memory computing. At cryogenic temperatures, the same memristive principles enable a new frontier: Cryo-Memristors for spin-qubit control. Operating reliably at 4 K, Pt/Ti/HfO2-based memristors and their modified variants (M-PtHT) serve as low-noise, multi-bit programmable gain elements for scalable quantum control electronics. Embedded near the quantum layer, these devices synthesize analog bias voltages with sub-100\,µV resolution, drastically reducing the wiring complexity, heat load, and latency in large-scale qubit arrays. Statistical analysis shows linear resistance variation and stable multi-bit retention even at 4\,K, confirming their potential as cryogenic analog memory elements for autonomous qubit tuning and adaptive quantum feedback. This chapter bridges device physics and quantum hardware, demonstrating that memristive programmability can extend beyond neuromorphic computing into the quantum domain.
We confront QST through the lens of machine learning. A diverse suite of neural architectures, FCN, CNN, RNN, RBM, CGAN, and Transformer, is deployed to reconstruct quantum states from simulated measurement data. Among them, CNNs deliver the best trade-off between fidelity and computational time, especially under expectation-based measurements. Yet, the SVAE architecture marks a turning point: as a generative probabilistic model, it achieves high-fidelity reconstructions even under sparse and noisy data, generalizing to higher qubit counts (up to 8) and scaling sub-exponentially in runtime. Its latent-space encoding of high-dimensional quantum information renders it ideal for real-time, energy-efficient inference when implemented on memristive crossbars. Simulations incorporating real device characteristics confirm that our forming-free and cryogenic OxReRAM-based CiM arrays can physically sustain deep QST networks. Memristor crossbars perform rapid in-memory matrix–vector multiplications, reducing inference energy by orders of magnitude compared to digital processors. Together, these results establish a scalable, hardware-aware path toward hybrid classical–neuromorphic–quantum computing.
We conclude by reflecting on the broader implications. This work demonstrates that room-temperature EBIP enables sustainable silicon fabrication; that forming-free OxReRAM devices can be engineered for reliable analog switching; that Cryo-Memristors enable scalable, low-power qubit control; and that generative neural networks, especially SVAEs, offer a pathway to efficient, hardware-embedded quantum state reconstruction. Looking ahead, these innovations converge toward cryogenic integration with quantum processors, adaptive quantum feedback via spiking neuromorphic circuits, and the eventual realization of intelligent, energy-aware quantum systems.
Through every chapter, one theme resounds: the dissolution of boundaries, between memory and logic, between classical and quantum, between matter and model. This thesis lays the foundation for a new kind of computing, one that learns like the brain, reasons like a physicist, and computes like the future demands.
Introduction: In 2012, potassium and sodium ion channels in Hodgkin-Huxley-based brain models were shown to exhibit memristive behavior. This positioned memristors as strong candidates for implementing biologically accurate artificial neurons. Memristor-based brain simulations offer advantages in energy efficiency, scalability, and compactness, benefiting fields such as soft robotics, embedded systems, and neuroprosthetics. Methods: Previous approaches used current-controlled Mott memristors, which poorly matched the voltage-controlled nature of ion channels. This study employs volatile, oxide-based memristors that leverage electric-field-driven oxygen-vacancy migration to emulate voltage-dependent channel behavior. We selected candidate WOx and NbOx memristors and modeled their dynamics to verify performance as Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channels. Results: The device exhibits sigmoidal gating and voltage-dependent time constants consistent with the theoretical model. By scaling the passive circuitry around the memristors, we show that they capture the essential mechanisms of potassium ion-channels, although spike height is reduced due to strong non-linear voltage-dependence. Still, by cascading multiple compartments, typical spike propagation is retained. Discussion: This is the first demonstration of a voltage-controlled memristor replicating the Hodgkin-Huxley potassium channel, validating its potential for more efficient brain simulation hardware.
Memristor technology has shown great promise for energy-efficient computing [1] , though it is still facing many challenges [1 , 2]. For instance, the required additional costly electroforming to establish conductive pathways is seen as a significant drawback as it contributes to power and area overheads, and limited device endurance. In this work, we propose a novel forming-free HfO2 -based ReRAM device with low operating voltages , multi-level capability , and less sensitivity to device-to-device (D2D) and cycle-to-cycle (C2C) variations. The device is fabricated using CMOS-compatible processes, excluding the undesirable complex steps mandatory to manufacture the state-of-the-art forming-free devices [3, 4, 5]. This is accomplished by utilizing the desirable formation energy of Pd-O bonds [6, 7], which creates conducting paths at room temperature while maintaining the analog switching ability of the devices. The proposed ReRAM device holds a great value for dense memories and energy-efficient compute architectures.
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