2D photonic memristor beyond graphene: Progress and prospects

Abstract

Photonic computing and neuromorphic computing are attracting tremendous interests in breaking the memory wall of traditional von Neumann architecture. Photonic memristors equipped with light sensing, data storage, and information processing capabilities are important building blocks of optical neural network. In the recent years, two-dimensional materials (2DMs) have been widely investigated for photonic memristor applications, which offer additional advantages in geometry scaling and distinct applications in terms of wide detectable spectrum range and abundant structural designs. Herein, the recent progress made toward the exploitation of 2DMs beyond graphene for photonic memristors applications are reviewed, as well as their application in photonic synapse and pattern recognition. Different materials and device structures are discussed in terms of their light tuneable memory behavior and underlying resistive switching mechanism. Following the discussion and classification on the device performances and mechanisms, the challenges facing this rapidly progressing research field are discussed, and routes to realize commercially viable 2DMs photonic memristors are proposed. © 2020 Xinke Liu and Kah-Wee Ang et al., published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston 2020.