The ever-increasing demands for data processing and storage will require
seamless monolithic co-integration of electronics and photonics.
Phase-change materials are uniquely suited to fulfill this function due to their
dual electro-optical sensitivity, nonvolatile retention properties, and fast
switching dynamics. The extreme size ...
The ever-increasing demands for data processing and storage will require
seamless monolithic co-integration of electronics and photonics.
Phase-change materials are uniquely suited to fulfill this function due to their
dual electro-optical sensitivity, nonvolatile retention properties, and fast
switching dynamics. The extreme size disparity however between CMOS
electronics and dielectric photonics inhibits the realization of efficient and
compact electrically driven photonic switches, logic and routing elements.
Here, the authors achieve an important milestone in harmonizing the two
domains by demonstrating an electrically reconfigurable, ultra-compact and
nonvolatile memory that is optically accessible. The platform relies on
localized heat, generated within a plasmonic structure; this uniquely allows
for both optical and electrical readout signals to be interlocked with the
material state of the PCM while still ensuring that the writing operation is
electrically decoupled. Importantly, by miniaturization and effective thermal
engineering, the authors achieve unprecedented energy efficiency, opening up
a path towards low-energy optoelectronic hardware for neuromorphic and
in-memory computing.