Preliminary investigation of dye-sensitized solar cells for an optoelectronic neural network with zero electric power consumption

The transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to contribute to the achievement of a green transition, especially in a sustainable development of urban areas, the “smart city”, has been increasingly and prominently highlighted. At the same time, digital technologies, such as AI, significantly increase energy and resource consumption and create risks of adverse environmental effects. In this context, solar cells offer a new perspective as the most suitable candidate for zero electric power consumption. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has the essential characteristics that could make these cells an ideal candidate for an artificial intelligence system with zero electric power consumption. This new perspective for AI devices, which are the optically learning solar cells, have the potential to serve as building blocks for intelligent optoelectronics enabling visually interacting machines that operate at minimal power and zero electric power consumption, in both outdoor and indoor lighting conditions. Here, we report a preliminary demonstration that dye-sensitized solar cells loaded with ultraviolet (UV) dye and visible (Vis) dye could learn using illumination time as a cue.