Perspectives of Using Oscillators for Computing and Signal Processing

TL;DR

This paper surveys oscillator-based computing architectures, emphasizing their potential for next-generation, neuromorphic, and nanoscale hardware, while highlighting the need for benchmarking to evaluate their advantages over traditional analog circuits.

Contribution

It provides an engineering perspective on oscillator-based computing, discusses their promise and limitations, and advocates for benchmarking studies to assess their benefits.

Findings

Oscillator-based computing is promising for neuromorphic and nanoscale hardware.

Current literature lacks clear benefits of oscillators over other analog elements.

The paper calls for benchmarking to evaluate oscillator-based circuits.

Abstract

It is an intriguing concept to use oscillators as fundamental building blocks of electronic computers. The idea is not new, but is currently subject to intense research as a part of the quest for 'beyond Moore' electronic devices. In this paper we give an engineering-minded survey of oscillator-based computing architectures, with the goal of understanding their promise and limitations for next-generation computing. We will mostly discuss non-Boolean, neurally-inspired computing concepts and put the emphasis on hardware and on circuits where the oscillators are realized from emerging, nanoscale building blocks. Despite all the promise that oscillatory computing holds, existing literature gives very few clear-cut arguments about the possible benefits of using oscillators in place of other analog nonlinear circuit elements. In this survey we will argue for finding the rationale of using oscillatory building blocks and call for benchmarking studies that compare oscillatory computing circuits to level-based (analog) implementations.