Reconfigurable, Nonvolatile, Optoelectronic Synaptic Memtransistor Based on MoS₂/Te van der Waals Heterostructures

Abstract

Memtransistors with nonvolatile storage, reconfigurability, and simulated synaptic functions are critical to overcoming the traditional von Neumann computer architecture bottleneck. Emerging two‐dimensional van der Waals heterostructures (vdW) are promising candidates for constructing advanced three‐terminal memtransistors by integrating the intriguing features of different materials and offering additional controllability over their existing optoelectronic properties. Herein, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂)/Tellurene (Te) vdW p‐n junction memtransistors are fabricated to mimic the plasticity, multi‐bit memory, and paired‐pulse facilitation behavior of biological synapses. The high surface potential difference and charge trapping of the MoS₂/Te heterostructure can endow the device with reconfigurable functionality through the transformation from short‐term plasticity to long‐term plasticity under illumination. Meanwhile, optoelectronic synaptic memtransistors also demonstrate nonvolatile behavior with a long retention time up to several hours, which can realize optical potentiation and electrical depression in one synaptic activity. On this basis, a logical operation of “OR” is realized by controlling the optical and electrical inputs. Moreover, artificial neural network training is performed to achieve a high recognition accuracy of 87.8% for handwritten digit recognition, demonstrating the potential of the artificial optoelectronic synapses in neuromorphic calculation.