Bio-Optical Computing Devices: Multi-Valued Logic Elements via Photonic Bio-Materials

The principal investigator of this project aims to develop a novel materials platform for potentially powerful bio-computing beyond current semiconductor-based materials. Quantum computation has long been theorized to be the next generation powerful computing but currently relies on specific materials and phenomena that work at non-natural environment such as extremely low temperatures.

Beyond original quantum systems, the principles of super-computing with multi-level logic elements can be expanded by exploring novel physical phenomena and materials to achieve multi-level signal processing with drastically increased productivity. This approach requires further exploration of principles beyond binary logic and traditional classical inorganic structures and physical phenomena.

These novel photonic-based computational logic elements will be considered in this project with the ability to be integrated with future electronic circuits. This research is to provide a flexible, bendable, conformal and sustainable platform for bio-photonic thin film transistors, as for the human-machine interface, with enormous parallel processing abilities for wearable and implantable bioelectronic devices for skin, under-skin and brain use.

The educational philosophy of the PI focuses on the individual students themselves and their early involvement in research, which is critical for getting students into sustainable research careers, especially young people from unrepresented groups.

The focus of this research is the exploration of the design and integration of heterostructured bio-based photonic materials as active dielectric layers with different wavelength-active organic semiconductors to create bio-organic field-effect transistors (BOFET). These structured materials will be a base for a prospective multi-value logic system that may enable powerful bio-computing.

The main conceptual hypothesis of the proposed research is the suggestion that the integration of unique electronic and optical properties, responsive behavior and photonic properties of robust and flexible chiral bio-derived materials with thin film electronic technology might lead to the creation of super-multi-value logic BOFET devices with superior computational performance at ambient conditions in future wearable human-interface friendly bioelectronics. Three major research tasks to be conducted in this project include: i) synthesis and fabrication of active biophotonic thin films from cellulose-nanocrystals with chiral nematic organization in conjunction with responsive photonic behavior as triggered by external illumination from different photon energies and polarizations and relative humidity; ii) design and fabrication of an active dielectric layer integrated with organic semiconducting polymers at an organic/inorganic interface and further integration with electronic-relevant substrates to enable BOFETs with unique opto-electronic properties; and iii) testable design of full-scale multifunctional BOFET prototype device as a novel photonic-based multi-value logic element with potential for high level logic operations including ternary and quaternary logic values.

Finally, the PI will study critical output electronic characteristics at variable photon energy, polarization, and environmental conditions.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.