Brain-Like Supercomputers: Harnessing Charge Density Waves for Revolutionary Efficiency

Charge density waves have applications in next-generation and energy-efficient computing.
Scientists used an ultrafast electron microscope to capture the nanosecond changes in a material during electrical pulsing. Understanding these changes may lead to more energy-efficient electronics.

Today’s supercomputers consume vast amounts of energy, equivalent to the power usage of thousands of homes. In response, researchers are developing a more energy-efficient form of next-generation supercomputing that leverages artificial neural networks. These networks mimic the processes of neurons, the basic unit in the human brain. This mimicry could be achieved through the charge density waves that occur in certain materials. Charge density waves are wave-like patterns of electrons — negatively charged particles — that move in a correlated fashion.

Unraveling the Dynamics of Charge Density Waves