An ultra-compact leaky-integrate-and-fire model for building spiking neural networks

We introduce an ultra-compact electronic circuit that realizes the leaky-integrate-and-fire model of artificial neurons. Our circuit has only three active devices, two transistors and a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR). We demonstrate the implementation of biologically realistic features, such as spike-frequency adaptation, a refractory period and voltage modulation of spiking rate. All characteristic times can be controlled by the resistive parameters of the circuit. We built the circuit with out-of-the-shelf components and demonstrate that our ultra-compact neuron is a modular block that can be associated to build multi-layer deep neural networks. We also argue that our circuit has low power requirements, as it is normally off except during spike generation. Finally, we discuss the ultimate ultra-compact limit, which may be achieved by further replacing the SCR circuit with Mott materials.