PZT optical memristors
Chenlei Li, Hongyan Yu, Tao Shu, Yaci Zhang, Chengfeng Wen, Hengzhen Cao, Jin Xie, Hanwen Li, Zhong Xu, Gong Zhang, Zejie Yu, Huan Li, Liu Liu, Yaocheng Shi, Feng Qiu, Daoxin Dai
Abstract
Optical memristors represent a monumental leap in the fusion of photonics and electronics for neuromorphic computing and artificial intelligence. Here, we reveal the first lead zirconate titanate (PZT) optical memristor, working with a paradigm of functional duality: non-volatile setting and ultrafast volatile modulation via the Pockels effect. Fine-tuning and large modulation depth are achieved with an index change of 4.6 × 10−3 when setting above a threshold voltage Vth and the switching energy is 12.3 pJ only. The non-volatility is highly stable even with >100,000 cycles. Sub-nanosecond volatile modulation (48 Gbps, 432 fJ/bit) is realized with high efficiency (VπL ~ 0.5 V·cm) via the strong Pockels effect below Vth. Our wafer-scale manufacturing process shows great potential for mass production. The present PZT optical memristors bridge the gap between high-speed photonics and non-volatile memory, offering transformative potential for high-speed and energy-efficient optical interconnects, quantum computing, neural networks, in-memory computing, and brain-like architecture. This work proposes a zirconate titanate-based optical memristor that integrates non-volatility and ultrafast modulation within a single device, bridging the gap between high-speed photonics and nonvolatile memory, demonstrating the potential applications in a broad spectrum of scenarios.