Context and Motivation: The upcoming workshop is centered around the exploration of novel unconventional computing paradigms and their comprehensive implementation, spanning from the realm of nanomaterials to devices and architectures, with a specific emphasis on applications. Aligned closely with the advancements made within the PHASTRAC project (Phase Transition Materials for Energy Efficient Edge Computing), this workshop serves as a platform to showcase the project efforts to the nanotechnology community. By bringing together both project members and external experts, the workshop aims to provide a holistic view of the current status and progress in unconventional computing. The discussions will delve into the interplay of materials and interfaces, device engineering at the nano scale, computing architecture, and practical applications, fostering an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas. This collaborative environment ensures that the workshop serves to provide insights, discuss on current challenges on design and deployment of unconventional computing paradigms. Participants can anticipate an engaging workshop that not only showcase the progress made within the PHASTRAC project but also offer an up-to-date perspective via the invited external experts in the field.

Background Overview: PHASTRAC is a research project funded by Horizon EU’s research and innovation programme with core subject “Phase Transition Materials for Energy Efficient Edge Computing”. PHASTRAC aims to develop a novel analog-to-information neuromorphic computing paradigm based on oscillatory neural networks (ONNs). We offer a first-of-its-kind and novel analog ONN computing architecture to seamlessly interface with sensors and process their analog data without any analog-to-digital conversion. ONNs are a biologically inspired neuromorphic computing architecture, where neuron oscillatory behavior will be developed by innovative phase change VO2 material coupled with synapses developed by bilayer Conductive Metal Oxide (CMO)/HfO2 RRAM devices. PHASTRAC addresses the most critical issues, namely

1) understanding and fine-tuning of chemical-physical properties of materials at the nano-scale, 2) integration of innovative materials and devices on top of a CMOS platform, 3) implementation of novel ONN architecture to allow analog sensor data processing, and 4) processing the data efficiently to take appropriate action. This “sensing-to-action” computing approach based on ONN technology allows for energy efficiency improvements. Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands, leads the consortium of four partners. The project partners are Pazmany Peter Catholic University, Hungary, IBM Research Zurich, and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), Germany.