Light-induced stochastic resonance in a nanoscale resonant-tunneling diode

Resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) have been often invoked as a primary nanoelectronic device candidate for cellular neural network physical implementation and for mimicking biological neuronlike behaviors. In this letter we report on the light-induced behavior of trench-etched RTDs capable of undergoing complex stochastic dynamics where electronic noise and light can cooperate for reproducing the stochastic resonance phenomenon previously observed in real biological neurons. The experimental measurements presented here add a missing piece to the quest for the optimal mimicking of bio-neural simulation by improving the functionality and thus the potential role of nanoscale RTDs. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3600329]