Biography

Desmond Loke received BA in Electrical Engineering from National University of Singapore in 2008. He pursued his PhD at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in NUS, and Department of Chemistry in University of Cambridge, where he worked on the topic of computer simulation and experimental study of the fast transformation for phase-change materials and devices between 2008 and 2012. At NUS and Cambridge, he has pioneered the control of crystallization kinetics of a phase-change material by pre-organizing atoms using a weak electric field, which has allowed the phase-change memory to achieve sub-nanosecond write speeds. In 2013, Desmond was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from Singapore University of Technology and Design and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to start his independent research. Loke attended the Harvard University as a researcher in 2014. Desmond joined the SUTD faculty in 2016 as assistant professor in the Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology. His research is aimed at understanding the origin of behaviors of novel materials, and by using these effects, design and enable new memory and bioelectronic devices for next generation artificial intelligence (AI), sixth-generation wireless (6G) and medical technologies (MedTech).

Research Areas

Loke performed research in the following areas: Memristive Non-Volatile Memory, Brain-Inspired Neuromorphic Computing, In-Memory Computing, Artificial Synapse, Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs), Shift Register, Continual Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Deep Neural Networks, Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics (AIMD) Simulations, Density Functional Theory (DFT) Calculations, Biomolecule Sensor, Healthcare Physiological Monitoring, Electroporation, Nanoparticle Cancer Therapy

Selected Publications

1. D. K. Loke, T. H. Lee, W. J. Wang, L. P. Shi, R. Zhao, Y. C. Yeo, T. C. Chong, S. R. Elliott. Breaking the Speed Limits of Phase-Change Memory. Science 336, 1566-1569 (2012).
2. D. K. Loke, J. M. Skelton, W. J. Wang, T. H. Lee, R. Zhao, T. C. Chong, S. R. Elliott. Ultrafast Phase-Change Logic Device Driven by Melting Processes. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 11, 13272-13277 (2014).
3. D. K. Loke, J. M. Skelton, L. T. Law, W. J. Wang, M. H. Li, W. D. Song, T. H. Lee, S. R. Elliott. Guest-Cage Atomic Interactions in a Clathrate-based Phase-Change Material. Adv. Mater. 26, 1725-1730 (2014).
4. D. K. Loke, J. M. Skelton, T. H. Lee, R. Zhao, T. C. Chong, S. R. Elliott. Ultrafast Nanoscale Phase-Change Memory Enabled by Single-Pulse Conditioning. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 10, 41855-41860 (2018).
5. D. K. Loke, J. M. Skelton, T. C. Chong, S. R. Elliott. Design of a Nanoscale, CMOS-Integrable, Thermal-Guiding Structure for Boolean-Logic and Neuromorphic Computation. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 8, 34530-34536 (2016).
6. D. K. Loke, L. P. Shi, W. J. Wang, R. Zhao, H. X. Yang, L. T. Ng, K. G. Lim, T. C. Chong, Y. C. Yeo. Ultrafast Switching in Nanoscale Phase-Change Random Access Memory with Superlattice-like Structures. Nanotechnology 22, 254019-1-6 (2011).
7. Z. Wang, Y. Song, G. Zhang, Q. Luo. K. Xu, D. Gao, B. Yu, D. K. Loke, S. Zhong, Y. Zhang. Advances of Embedded Resistive Random Access Memory in Industrial Manufacturing and Its Potential Applications. Int. J. Extreme Manuf. 6, 032006 (2024).
8. T. H. Lee, D. K. Loke, K. J. Huang, W. J. Wang, S. R. Elliott. Tailoring Transient-Amorphous States: Towards Fast and Power-Efficient Phase-Change Memory and Neuromorphic Computing. Adv. Mater. 26, 7493-7498 (2014).
9. W. J. Wang, D. K. Loke, L. P. Shi, R. Zhao, H. X. Yang, L. T. Law, L. T. Ng, K. G. Lim, Y. C. Yeo, T. C. Chong, A. L. Lacaita. Enabling Universal Memory by Overcoming the Contradictory Speed and Stability Nature of Phase-Change Materials. Sci. Rep. 2, 360 (2012).
10. J. M. Skelton, D. K. Loke, T. H. Lee, S. R. Elliott. Ab Initio Molecular-Dynamics Simulation of Neuromorphic Computing in Phase-Change Memory Materials. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 7, 14223-14230 (2015).
11. S. X. Go, Q. Wang, K. G. Lim, T. H. Lee, N. Bajalovic, D. K. Loke. Ultrafast Near-Ideal Phase-Change Memristive Physical Unclonable Functions Driven by Amorphous State Variations. Adv. Sci. 9, 2204453 (2022).
12. S. X. Go, K. G. Lim, T. H. Lee, D. K. Loke. Nonvolatile Memristive Materials and Physical Modelling for In-Memory and In-Sensor Computing. Small Sci. 4, 2300139 (2024).
13. ­S. Hao, S. Zhong, X. Ji, K. Pang, N. Wang, H. Li, Y. Jiang, K. G. Lim, T. C. Chong, R. Zhao, D. K. Loke. Activating Silent Synapse in Sulfurized Indium Selenide for Neuromorphic Computing. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 13, 60209 (2021).
14. S. X. Go, Y. Jiang, D. K. Loke. A Phase-Change Memristive Reinforcement Learning for Rapidly Outperforming Champion Street-Fighter Players. Adv. Intell. Syst. 5, 2300335 (2023).
15. D. Lee, J S. Naikar, S. S. Chan, M. P. Meivita, L. Li, Y. S. Tan, N. Bajalovic, D. K. Loke. Ultralong-Recovery-Time Nanosecond Electroporation System Enabled by Orientational-Disordering Processes. Nanoscale 14, 7934 (2022).
16. M. P. Meivita, S. X. Go, F. S. Mozar, L. Li,, Y. S. Tan, N. Bajalovic, D. K. Loke. Shape Complementarity Processes for Ultrashort-Burst Sensitive M13–PEG–WS₂-Powered MCF-7 Cancer Cell Sensors. Nanoscale 15, 16658 (2023).
17. M. Kedir, L. Li, Y. S. Tan, N. Bajalovic, D. K. Loke. Nanomaterials and Methods for Cancer Therapy: 2D Materials, Biomolecules, and Molecular Dynamics Simulations, J. Mater. Chem. B. (Accepted).

Highlighted Honors, Awards and Achievements

• World ATI’s TechConnect Innovation Award (2024)
• The MRS’s iMatSci Innovation Award (2018)
• Global MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35 Award (2016)
• Asia MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35 Award (2014)
• MIT-SUTD Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013)
• MRS Spring Meeting’s ‘Outstanding Paper’ Award (2012)
• A*STAR DSI’s ‘Best Paper of the Year’ Award (2012)
• EPCOS Conference’s ‘Most Impressive Paper’ Award (2012)
• Singapore TKK Young Inventors’ Award (2011)