Electrolyte-gated transistors for neuromorphic applications

Von Neumann computers are currently failing to follow Moore’s law and are limited by the von Neumann bottleneck.To enhance computing performance,neuromorphic computing systems that can simulate the function of the human brain are being developed.Artificial synapses are essential electronic devices for neuromorphic architectures,which have the ability to perform signal processing and storage between neighboring artificial neurons.In recent years,electrolyte-gated transistors(EGTs)have been seen as promising devices in imitating synaptic dynamic plasticity and neuromorphic applications.Among the various electronic devices,EGT-based artificial synapses offer the benefits of good stability,ultra-high linearity and repeated cyclic symmetry,and can be constructed from a variety of materials.They also spatially separate“read”and“write”operations.In this article,we provide a review of the recent progress and major trends in the field of electrolyte-gated transistors for neuromorphic applications.We introduce the operation mechanisms of electric-double-layer and the structure of EGT-based artificial synapses.Then,we review different types of channels and electrolyte materials for EGT-based artificial synapses.Finally,we review the potential applications in biological functions.

Tuning charge and orbital ordering in DyNiO_(3) by biaxial strain

The first-principles calculations were used to explore the tunable electronic structure in DyNiO_(3)(DNO)under the effects of the biaxial compressive and tensile strains.We explored how the biaxial strain tunes the orbital hybridization and influences the charge and orbital ordering states.We found that breathing mode and Jahn–Teller distortion play a primary role in charge ordering state and orbital ordering state,respectively.Additionally,the calculated results revealed that the biaxial strain has the ability to manipulate the phase competition between the two states.A phase transition point has been found under tensile train.If the biaxial train is larger than the point,the system favors orbital ordering state.If the strain is smaller than the point,the system is in charge ordering state favorably.

Graphene/SrTiO3 interface-based UV photodetectors with high responsivity

Strontium titanate(SrTiO3),which is a crucial perovskite oxide with a direct energy band gap of 3.2 eV,holds great promise for ultraviolet(UV)photodetection.However,the response performance of the conventional SrTiO3-based photodetectors is limited by the large relative dielectric constant of the material,which reduces the internal electric field for electron-hole pair separation to form a current collected by electrodes.Recently,graphene/semiconductor hybrid photodetectors by van-der-Waals heteroepitaxy method demonstrate ultrahigh sensitivity,which is benefit from the interface junction architecture and then prolonged lifetime of photoexcited carriers.Here,a graphene/SrTiO3 interface-based photodetector is demonstrated with an ultrahigh responsivity of 1.2×106 A/W at the wavelength of 325 nm and∼2.4×104 A/W at 261 nm.The corresponding response time is in the order of∼ms.Compared with graphene/GaN interface junctionbased hybrid photodetectors,∼2 orders of magnitude improvement of the ultrahigh responsivity originates from a gain mechanism which correlates with the large work function difference induced long photo-carrier lifetime as well as the low background carrier density.The performance of high responsivity and fast response speed facilitates SrTiO3 material for further efforts seeking practical applications.

Photon-interactions with perovskite oxides

Photons with variable energy, high coherency, and switchable polarization provide an ideal tool-kits for exploring the cutting-edge scientific questions in the condensed matter physics and material sciences. Over decades, extensive researches in the sample fabrication and excitation have employed the photon as one of the important means to synthesize and explore the low-dimensional quantum materials. In this review, we firstly summarize the recent progresses of the state-of-the-art thin-film deposition methods using excimer pulsed laser, by which syntactic oxides with atomic-unit-cell-thick layers and extremely high crystalline quality can be programmatically fabricated. We demonstrate that the artificially engineered oxide quantum heterostructures exhibit the unexpected physical properties which are absent in their parent forms. Secondly, we highlight the recent work on probing the symmetry breaking at the surface/interface/interior and weak couplings among nanoscale ferroelectric domains using optical second harmonic generation. We clarify the current challenges in the insitu characterizations under the external fields and large-scale imaging using optical second harmonic generation. The improvements in the sample quality and the non-contact detection technique further promote the understanding of the mechanism of the novel properties emerged at the interface and inspire the potential applications, such as the ferroelectric resistive memory and ultrahigh energy storage capacitors.

Infrared Nano-Imaging of Electronic Phase across the Metal–Insulator Transition of NdNiO_(3) Films

NdNiO_(3) is a typical correlated material with temperature-driven metal–insulator transition. Resolving the local electronic phase is crucial in understanding the driving mechanism behind the phase transition. Here we present a nano-infrared study of the metal–insulator transition in NdNiO_(3) films by a cryogenic scanning near-field optical microscope. The NdNiO_(3) films undergo a continuous transition without phase coexistence. The nano-infrared signal shows significant temperature dependence and a hysteresis loop. Stripe-like modulation of the optical conductivity is formed in the films and can be attributed to the epitaxial strain. These results provide valuable evidence to understand the coupled electronic and structural transformations in NdNiO_(3) films at the nano-scale.

La_(0.67)Sr_(0.33)MnO_(3)薄膜相图的轨道弹性调控

过渡金属氧化物具有丰富的功能性,但其错综复杂的内部自由度对相图绘制和结构设计提出了挑战.本文中,我们引入了描述相图物理起源的轨道能级序(ELO),并通过对La_(0.67)Sr_(0.33)MnO_(3)(LSMO)氧化物的研究证明了其在相图预测中的有效性.结合DFT计算和实验,我们构建了氧含量和应变关联的LSMO相图,结果表明LSMO结构稳定性与ELO密切相关.据此发现了一种由ELO演化而产生的四倍氧有序相.最后,我们提出了描述轨道分裂程度的轨道弹性定律,阐明了ELO演化的起源,助力功能氧化物的设计.这项研究拓宽了材料科学领域的性能调控手段,并为从轨道角度预测相图提供了思路.

平面极化激元开关的可调谐异质结构棱镜

近年来,纳米尺度上范德华材料中声子极化激元的研究因在纳米光子学中的潜在应用而受到广泛关注.这些材料具有亚衍射分辨成像和传感的独特能力,因而成为纳米光子学领域新技术开发的热门途径.尽管声子极化激元材料的研究取得了很多进展,但由于这些材料的绝缘特性,其在实现声子极化激元的动态可逆操纵方面仍然存在挑战.最新研究发现,借助VO_(2)薄膜,可以实现α-MoO_(3)中各向异性声子极化激元的可逆操纵.VO_(2)薄膜是一种近室温相变材料,因其相变前后绝缘态和金属态之间介电性能的巨大变化受到广泛关注.最新的一项研究展示了精心构建的α-MoO_(3)/VO_(2)异质结构,改变温度调控VO_(2)薄膜的介电性能,能够调谐中红外波段极化激元的传播.这些结果展示了一种在纳米尺度上控制光能流动的有效方法,并为集成平面亚衍射激元器件的设计和制造提供了指导.

Improved multiferroic in EuTiO_(3) films by interphase strain engineering

Interphase strain engineering provides a unique methodology to significantly modify the lattice structure across a single film,enabling the emergence and manipulation of novel functionalities that are inaccessible in the context of traditional strain engineering methods.In this work,by using the interphase strain,we achieve a ferromagnetic state with enhanced Curie temperature and a room-temperature polar state in EuO secondary phase-tunned EuTiO_(3) thin films.A combination of atomic-scale electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy unravels the underlying mechanisms of the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties enhancement.Wherein,the EuO secondary phase is found to be able to dramatically distort the TiO_6 octahedra,which favors the non-centrosymmetric polar state,weakens antiferromagnetic Eu-Ti-Eu interactions,and enhances ferromagnetic Eu-O-Eu interactions.Our work demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of interphase strain engineering in simultaneously promoting ferroelectric and ferromagnetic performance,which would provide new thinking on the property regulation of numerous strongly correlated functional materials.

Low-threshold topological nanolasers based on the second-order corner state

Topological lasers are immune to imperfections and disorder.They have been recently demonstrated based on many kinds of robust edge states,which are mostly at the microscale.The realization of 2D on-chip topological nanolasers with a small footprint,a low threshold and high energy efficiency has yet to be explored.Here,we report the first experimental demonstration of a topological nanolaser with high performance in a 2D photonic crystal slab.A topological nanocavity is formed utilizing the Wannier-type 0D corner state.Lasing behaviour with a low threshold of approximately 1μW and a high spontaneous emission coupling factor of 0.25 is observed with quantum dots as the active material.Such performance is much better than that of topological edge lasers and comparable to that of conventional photonic crystal nanolasers.Our experimental demonstration of a low-threshold topological nanolaser will be of great significance to the development of topological nanophotonic circuitry for the manipulation of photons in classical and quantum regimes.

Temperature-dependent evolution of surface charge screening and polarization at ferroelectric surfaces

The polarization and domain behavior on the surface of a ferroelectric material are significantly affected by the screening processes [1-12].Recently,there has been a notable increase in the theoretical calculations and experiments investigating the dynamics of polarization and domain behaviors coexisting in phase transitions of ferroelectric materials.

Observation of coupling between zero- and two- dimensional semiconductor systems based on anomalous diamagnetic effects

We report the direct observation of coupling between a single self-assembled InAs quantum dot and a wetting layer, based on strong diamagnetic shifts of many-body exciton states using magneto-photoluminescence spectroscopy. An extremely large positive diamagnetic coefficient is observed when an electron in the wetting layer combines with a hole in the quantum dot; the coefficient is nearly one order of magnitude larger than that of the exciton states confined in the quantum dots. Recombination of electrons with holes in a quantum dot of the coupled system leads to an unusual negative diamagnetic effect, which is five times stronger than that in a pure quantum dot system. This effect can be attributed to the expansion of the wavefunction of remaining electrons in the wetting layer or the spread of electrons in the excited states of the quantum dot to the wetting layer after recombination. In this case, the wavefunction extent of the final states in the quantum dot plane is much larger than that of the initial states because of the absence of holes in the quantum dot to attract electrons. The properties of emitted photons that depend on the large electron wavefunction extents in the wetting layer indicate that the coupling occurs between systems of different dimensionality, which is also verified from the results obtained by applying a magnetic field in different configurations. This study paves a new way to observe hybrid states with zero- and two-dimensional structures, which could be useful for investigating the Kondo physics and implementing spin-based solid-state quantum information processing.

Diabolical points in coupled active cavities with quantum emitters

In single microdisks,embedded active emitters intrinsically affect the cavity modes of the microdisks,resulting in trivial symmetric backscattering and low controllability.Here we demonstrate macroscopic control of the backscattering direction by optimizing the cavity size.The signature of the positive and negative backscattering directions in each single microdisk is confirmed with two strongly coupled microdisks.Furthermore,diabolical points are achieved at the resonance of the two microdisks,which agrees well with theoretical calculations considering the backscattering directions.Diabolical points in active optical structures pave the way for an implementation of quantum information processing with geometric phase in quantum photonic networks.

Evaluation of simulated reservoirs by using the oblique-incidence reflectivity difference technique

Dear Editors,The evaluation of the oil-gas resources’potential depends on the characterization of reservoirs.The geometry of the pore-crack structures and the compositions of the pore walls have influence on hydrocarbon production about capillarity and permeability[1].Besides,it has been known that the adsorption phenomenon in micro-structure plays a significant role in oil-gas reservoirs.Some techniques have been applied to characterize conventional and unconventional reservoirs,

Design strategy for ferroelectric-based polar metals with dimensionality-tunable electronic states

Since LiOsO_3 was discovered, obtaining easy-accessible polar metals for research and applications has been challenging. In this paper, we present a multilayer design strategy, which is configured as ferroelectric layer/carrier reservoir layer/isolation layer/substrate, for obtaining polar metals by electrostatically doping a strained ferroelectric material in a more effective way. In the proposed configuration, both 1 unit-cell thick BaTiO_3 and PbTiO_3 exhibited considerable Ti off-centering with various strains,which should extend the applicability of ferroelectric-based polar metals in ultra-thin devices. Moreover, engineered by the compressive strain and the BaTiO_3 thickness, the design strategy effectively achieved polar metallicity and dimensionalitytunable electronic states associated with the modulation of highly anisotropic properties such as electrical and electronic thermal conductivity, which may be helpful for designing ultra-thin, ultrafast, and low-power switch devices.

Optical spectroscopy study of charge density wave orderOptical spectroscopy study of charge density wave order in Sr_3Rh_4Sn_(13) and (Sr_(0.5)Ca_(0.5))3_Rh_4Sn_(13)

The ultrafast laser-excited magnetization dynamics of ferromagnetic （FM） La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 （LSMO） thin films with BiFeO3 （BFO） coating layers grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy are investigated using the optical pump-probe technique. Uniform magnetization precessions are observed in the films under an applied external magnetic field by measuring the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. The magnetization precession frequencies of the LSMO thin films with the BFO coating layers are lower than those of uncoated LSMO films, which is attributed to the suppression of the anisotropy field induced by the exchange interaction at the interface between the antiferromagnetic order of BFO and the FM order of LSMO.

Oxygen vacancies effects on phase diagram of epitaxial La1-xSrxMnO3 thin films

We investigated the effects of oxygen vacancies on the structural, magnetic, and transport properties of Lal-xSrxMnO3 （x=0.1, 0.2, 0.33, 0.4, and 0.5） grown around a critical point （without/with oxygen vacancies） under low oxygen pressure （10 Pa） and high oxygen pressure （40 Pa）. We found that all films exhibit ferromagnetic behavior below the magnetic critical temperature, and that the films grown under low oxygen pressures have degraded magnetic properties with lower Curie temperatures and smaller magnetic moments. These results show that in epitaxial La1-xSrxMnO3 thin films, the magnetic and transport properties are very sensitive to doping concentration and oxygen vacancies. Phase diagrams of the films based on the doping concentration and oxygen vacancies were plotted and discussed.

Effect of mechanical force on domain switching in BiFeO3 ultrathin films

Ferroelectric polarization can be switched by an external applied electric field and may also be reversed by a mechanical force via flexoelectricity from the strain gradient.In this study,we report the mechanical writing of an epitaxial BiFeO3(BFO)thin film and the combined action of an applied mechanical force and electric field on domain switching,where the mechanical force and electric field are applied using the tip of atomic force microscopy.When the applied force exceeds the threshold value,the upward polarization of the BFO thin film can be reversed by pure mechanical force via flexoelectricity;when an electric field is simultaneously applied,the mechanical force can reduce the coercive electric field because both the piezoelectricity from the homogeneous strain and the flexoelectricity from strain gradient contribute to the internal electric field in the film.The mechanically switched domains exhibit a slightly lower surface potential when compared with that exhibited by the electrically switched domains due to no charge injection in the mechanical method.Furthermore,both the mechanically and electrically switched domains exhibit a tunneling electroresistance in the BFO ferroelectric tunnel junction.

Effects of BaTiO3 and SrTiO3 as the buffer layers of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films

BiFeO_3 (BFO) thin films with BaTiO_3 (BTO) or SrTiO_3 (STO) as buffer layer were epitaxially grown on SrRuO_3-covered SrTiO_3 substrates. X-ray diffraction measurements show that the BTO buffer causes tensile strain in the BFO films, whereas the STO buffer causes compressive strain. Different ferroelectric domain structures caused by these two strain statuses are revealed by piezoelectric force microscopy. Electrical and magnetical measurements show that the tensile-strained BFO/BTO samples have reduced leakage current and large ferroelectric polarization and magnetization, compared with compressively strained BFO/STO. These results demonstrate that the electrical and magnetical properties of BFO thin films can be artificially modified by using a buffer layer.