Current wireless systems, from Wi-Fi to 5G, have been designed by following principles that have not changed over the last 70 years. This approach has given us dependable, universal wireless connectivity solutions that can deliver any type of digital information. As computing systems substitute universal digital processors with specialised circuits for artificial intelligence (AI), and as wireless connectivity becomes an integral part of the sensing-compute-actuation fabric powered by AI, it is essential to rethink the fundamental principles underpinning the design of wireless systems. The global telecom market is estimated at around USD 850 billion, with the UK telecom industry generating around GBP 30 billion in 2020. The countries that will lead in the creation of the new technological principles and capabilities underpinning 6G will have a significant international market edge, making fundamental research on the subject a critical national policy issue. In this context, neuromorphic sensing and computing are emerging as alternative, brain-inspired, paradigms for efficient data collection and semantic signal processing that build on event-driven measurements, in-memory computing, spike-based information processing, reduced precision and increased stochasticity, and adaptability via learning in hardware. The neuromorphic sensing and computing market was valued at USD 22.5 million in 2020, and it is projected to be worth USD 333.6 million by 2026. Current commercial use cases of neuromorphic technologies range from drone monitoring to the development of fast and accurate COVID-19 antibody testing. NeuroComm views the emergence of neuromorphic technologies as a unique opportunity for the development of efficient, integrated wireless connectivity and semantic processing -- referred to broadly as wireless cognition. Specifically, NeuroComm aims systematically addressing the integration of neuromorphic principles within an end-to-end system encompassing sensing, computing, and wireless communications. The informational currency of neuromorphic computing is not the bit, but the timing of spikes. Neuroscientists have long studied the efficiency and effectiveness of spike-based communications in biological neurons. In the context of wireless cognition, spike-based processing and communication raise novel fundamental questions regarding optimal joint signaling and computing strategies. NeuroComm will take the approach of starting from first, information-theoretic, principles, addressing the problem of what to implement before investigating how to best deploy neuromorphic based wireless cognition. To this end, the project aims at developing an information-theoretic framework for the analysis of wireless cognition systems with neuromorphic transceivers. The efficiency of neuromorphic computing hinges on the co-design of hardware and software. NeuroComm posits that a close integration of neuromorphic computing and communications at the design stage will be needed in order to fully leverage the benefits of brain-inspired wireless cognition. NeuroComm is a collaboration between King's College London (KCL) as lead institution and Princeton University (PU) as academic partner, along with NVIDA, Intel Labs, AccelerComm, and IBM Zurich as industrial partners. The research will build on the PIs' expertise in information theory, machine learning, communications, and neuromorphic computing to explore theoretical foundations, algorithms, and hardware implementation.

I propose a new approach to supplying technologies for the last-mile global communication networks. High-speed data links are central to an ever-more integrated digital economy where, every day, more and more data is shared on our already over-stretched communications networks. A key challenge is the development of new high-bandwidth, secure communication networks, particularly through the internet. The online multimedia services we use on a daily basis are huge users of network bandwidth. With the number of multimedia users in the UK increasing on a monthly basis, the result is a huge drain on the available network bandwidth. Even in standard definition, watching our favourite TV show uses around 1GB of data per hour (and 3GB per hour for high definition). Beyond multimedia, as cloud-based storage and computing becoming the norm establishing high-bandwidth communication networks will be vital. Core backbone communication networks are regularly upgraded to deal with these demands, however the last-mile network, which takes our Internet services to homes and offices, is difficult and expensive to upgrade. This difficulty arises from the distributed nature of this portion of the network and solutions for cost effective, and sustainable, upgrades are required to be commercially deployed over the next 5-10 years. This project the aims to develop solutions to implementation of high-speed free-space last-mile networks. Using light beams carrying Orbital Angular Momentum, a single point-to-point link will increase the number of data carrying channels. Using orbital angular momentum in this way is an example of spatial multiplexing. These multiplexing techniques have the potential to offer multiplicative increases in data rates whilst simultaneously increasing the security of the link. A key deliverable will be the development of a last-mile building to building link within our new campus, for the development and testing of prototype novel multiplexing and de-multiplexing technology. Working with Industrial partners Intel and Corning, solutions will be developed in line with their market requirement, allowing near-term commercial uptake. These industry inspired challenges raise some questions about the fundamental nature of long distance propagation of spatial modes. Hence, along with overcoming the technical hurdles this project aims to investigate the effect of turbulence within the free-space propagation of spatially multiplexed beams. In the early stages of this project, studies into the optical aberrations, and modal cross coupling will be carried out in different environmental settings. This vital data will provide a base to design and develop passive, and active approaches to overcoming the limitations imposed by atmospheric turbulence. Further to these challenges, techniques to allow integration into current installed fibre networks will be developed. The proof-of-principle link will allow real life user testing, where standard internet services will be demonstrated over the link, aiming to providing a commercially viable last-mile link design as a key deliverable of the project.

Silicon Photonics is a field that has seen rapid growth and dramatic changes in the past 5 years. According to the MIT Communications Technology Roadmap, which aims to establish a common architecture platform across market sectors with a potential $20B in annual revenue, silicon photonics is among the top ten emerging technologies. This has in part been a consequence of the recent involvement of large semiconductor companies in the USA such as Intel and IBM, who have realised the enormous potential of the technology, as well as large investment in the field by DARPA in the USA under the Electronic and Photonic Integrated Circuit (EPIC) initiative. Significant investment in the technology has also followed in Japan, Korea, and to a lesser extent in the European Union (IMEC and LETI). The technology offers an opportunity to revolutionise a range of application areas by providing excellent performance at moderate cost due primarily to the fact that silicon is a thoroughly studied material, and unsurpassed in quality of fabrication with very high yield due to decades of investment from the microelectronics industry. The proposed work is a collaboration between 5 UK Universities (Surrey, St. Andrews, Leeds, Warwick and Southampton) with input from the industrial sector both in the UK and the USA. We will target primarily the interconnect applications, as they are receiving the most attention worldwide and have the largest potential for wealth creation, based on the scalability of silicon-based processes. However, we will ensure that our approach is more broadly applicable to other applications. This can be achieved by targeting device functions that are generic, and introducing specificity only when a particular application is targeted. The generic device functions we envisage are as follows: Optical modulation; coupling from fibre to sub-micron silicon waveguides; interfacing of optical signals within sub micron waveguides; optical filtering; optical/electronic integration; optical detection; optical amplification. In each of these areas we propose to design, fabricate, and test devices that will improve the current state of the art. Subsequently we will integrate these optical devices with electronics to further improve the state of the art in optical/electronic integration in silicon.We have included in our list of objectives, benchmark targets for each of our proposed devices to give a clear and unequivocal statement of ambition and intent.We believe we have assembled an excellent consortium to deliver the proposed work, and to enable the UK to compete on an international level. The combination of skills and expertise is unique in the UK and entirely complementary within the consortium. Further, each member of the consortium is recognised as a leading international researcher in their field.The results of this work have the potential to have very significant impact to wealth creation opportunities within the UK and around the world. For example emerging applications such as optical interconnect, both intra-chip, and inter-chip, as well as board to board and rack to rack, and Fibre To The Home for internet and other large bandwidth applications, will require highly cost effective and mass production solutions. Silicon Photonics is a seen as a leading candidate technology in these application areas if suitable performance can be achieved

Describe the proposed research in simple terms in a way that could be publicised to a general audience [up to 4000 chars]. Note that this summary will be automatically published on EPSRC's website in the event that a grant is awarded. The recently developed memory architectures based on resistive-variable devices such as Phase Charge Memories, Programmable Metallization Cell or memristors have reliability issues that are drastically different from those affecting CMOS based memories. These novel memories although based on different technologies, they all share the principle of storing information as the resistance value imposed to a resistive-variable devices and consequently also the possible type of faults that may occur. This project proposes to leverage data obtained from experimental results to characterize resistive-variable devices and to exploit both information and architectural redundancies to enhance reliability and yield of these devices. To face the presence of a massive number of defects suitable spare resources, such as spare row and/or columns will be used combined with suitable error detection methods and efficient readdressing scheme to substitute faulty elements. To leverage the use of spares resources, codes novel models and algorithms to estimate the reliability versus overhead trade-off will be developed, with the aim of obtaining a reliability-aware driven synthesis tool for these memory devices.

The data that makes up people's online identities lies scattered across the virtual landscape, consisting of emails, photos, social network site interactions and more. Such data can have emotional, financial and intellectual significance. Yet the awkward question of what happens to this data when a user dies lies unanswered. There are three main components to this open question, which this research seeks to address: (1) How do online applications need to change to allow users to nominate data inheritors? There is no obvious mechanism for the bequest of one's digital artefacts. It is subject to the terms of use of individual web sites and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), buried far down in the small print or not dealt with at all. In life, we own our personal data, no matter where it is held. (2) How do online applications need to change to facilitate inheritance of personal data in the inevitable event of a user's death? After death, ownership of the deceased's personal data is a grey area. This can result in distress and inconvenience for the bereaved as they struggle to retrieve precious online artefacts. (3) What are the boundaries for the acceptable creation, ownership and management of online memorials which re-purpose inherited data, appropriate to UK cultural norms? We are already seeing spontaneous technology-based responses to death and loss emerging- e.g. - online memorials. Many are respectful and appropriate, yet some are not - and can cause further anguish to the bereaved as a result. There is a lack of research to establish boundaries of acceptability in this highly sensitive area.In this research, I will address the questions outlined above from a participatory perspective, collaborating with users, and with experts in law, psychology, sociology and social software. I will first establish what people want to happen to their data after they die, their preferences in expressing these choices, and how these choices should be acted upon. I will then examine how the bereaved choose to repurpose these digital artefacts, how this repurposing can assist in the grieving process, and the way in which these repurposed artefacts should be managed to protect the sensitivities of the bereaved. The work will be underpinned by a theoretical understanding of the bereavement process and empathetic social behaviour.