Cornell researchers build first ‘microwave brain’ on a chip

Cornell engineers have built the first fully integrated “microwave brain” — a silicon microchip that can process ultrafast data and wireless signals at the same time, while using less than 200 milliwatts of power. Instead of digital steps, it uses analog microwave physics for real-time computations like radar tracking, signal decoding, and anomaly detection. This unique neural network design bypasses traditional processing bottlenecks, achieving high accuracy without the extra circuitry or energy demands of digital systems.

Harnessing analog microwave physics, researchers have developed a “microwave brain” chip that performs high-speed tasks with minimal power, promising advances in secure wireless and wearable tech. Credit: Shutterstock

Cornell University researchers have developed a low-power microchip they call a "microwave brain," the first processor to compute on both ultrafast data signals and wireless communication signals by harnessing the physics of microwaves.

Detailed today in the journal Nature Electronics, the processor is the first, true microwave neural network and is fully integrated on a silicon microchip. It performs real-time frequency domain computation for tasks like radio signal decoding, radar target tracking and digital data processing, all while consuming less than 200 milliwatts of power.