SIGMOID NEURAL TRANSFER-FUNCTION REALIZED BY PERCOLATION

An experiment using the phenomenon of percolation has been conducted t o demonstrate the implementation of neural functionality (summing and sigmoid transfer). A simple analog approximation to digital percolatio n is implemented. The device consists of a piece of amorphous silicon with stochastic bit-stream optical inputs, in which a current percolat ing from one end to the other defines the neuron output, also in the f orm of a stochastic bit stream. Preliminary experimental results are p resented. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America