Biomaterial-based Nonvolatile Photonic Memristor
Abstract A photonic memristor is a component used in photonic and neuromorphic computing that can complete the high-speed programming of nonvolatile data through light illumination`. To date, photonic memristors have been fabricated using several methods. Applied principles include the photovoltaic (PV) effect-mediated Schottky barrier, PV effect-induced formation/annihilation of conductive filaments, photogating effect and photoinduced chemical reaction/conformation change5. However, currently proposed solutions are half sets only (i.e. either light writing or light erasing only), photoinduced electrical programming or photovoltaically modulated6-9. Moreover, these devices frequently require the use of special materials or complex device structures and circuitries5. Here, we used a mixture of apple pectin (AP) and nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles (NPs) as the resistive switching layer and fabricated a simple metal/insulator/metal sandwich structure. The surface defects between the interface of AP and NiO NPs can capture ultraviolet-excited electrons and convert the resistance state into low-resistance state (LRS). By expelling the electrons in the traps through green light, LRS can be transformed back into high-resistance state. The memory can be programmed purely through light and is compatible with electrical operation. This discovery provides a reliable method for fabricating photonic memristors that can be adopted in photonic and neuromorphic computing applications.