Title: Unlocking the potential of emergent and collective dynamics for physical computing
Speaker: Prof. Aida Todri-Sanial – NanoComputing Research Lab, Integrated Circuits, EE Dept., TU/e, NL
July 7 –
Abstract: This presentation introduces a physics-based computing paradigm and architecture, harnessing the collective dynamics of coupled oscillators to enable massive parallelism and energy-efficient computation. This approach overcomes the inherent limitations of classical von Neumann computing, enabling the execution of highly complex functions with remarkably low power consumption. At the core of this physics-based computing lies the interactive dynamics of devices within an open system, naturally minimizing their energy by transitioning to the ground state. The talk will cover computational theory pertaining to physical computing, as well as the materials and devices essential for its physical implementation. Physical computing leverages the intrinsic nonlinearities of devices and the memory of the physical system, enabling energy-efficient, in-memory computations with no data transfer, thus making it suitable as an Ising machines for solving NP-hard problems. Additionally, it serves as an energy-efficient hardware accelerator for AI applications. In conclusion, I will address the current challenges and advancements in energy-efficient physical computing and also cover aspect of verification and scalability.
Bio: Aida Todri-Sanial is a full professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands and Director of Research for the French National Council of Scientific Research (CNRS). Prof. Todri-Sanial was a visiting fellow at the Cambridge Graphene Center and Wolfson College at the University of Cambridge, UK. Previously, she was an R&D Engineer for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, IL. She has also held visiting research positions at Mentor Graphics, Cadence Design Systems, STMicroelectronics and IBM TJ Watson Research Center. Her research interests are on emerging technologies and novel computing paradigms such as physical computing, neuromorphic and quantum computing. She is the recipient of John Bardeen Fellow in Engineering in 2009, ACM Distinguished Speakers 2016-2018, CNRS Bronze Medal coordinates and participates in several European projects. She received the prestigious NWO AiNED Fellowship and the ERC Consolidating Grant in 2023. She was the General Chair for the 2025 edition of the Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE) conference. Website: https://www.tue.nl/en/research/researchers/aida-todri-sanial