The electrochemical metallization (ECM) mechanism is emerging as a promising approach for the development of optical memristors—nonvolatile memory systems proposed for use as artificial synapses in neuromorphic computing applications. ECM memristors offer exceptional operating dynamics and power efficiency compared to other systems, but challenges with reproducible cycle-to-cycle state switching and the absence of advanced optical functionalities hinder their integration into photonic systems. In this work, an ECM free-standing memristor structure is proposed, which simultaneously offers wavelength-dependent multilevel nonvolatile optical storage, volatile light modulation, and dynamic polarization control. It is demonstrated that in the presence of a resonance, the optical readout provides noise-free, robust, and significantly more accurate information about the memristor's state than electrical measurement. The use of light allows to gain insight into the intermediate electrical levels of the device as it transitions between high and low resistance states and to recover the complete record of applied voltages even when stochastic filament ruptures occur. Finally, the investigations show that spectroscopic ellipsometry provides real-time information on the dynamics of cation movement and the corresponding permittivity changes at the interfaces between the switching layer and the electrodes, thus becoming a complementary characterization method for ECM memristors alongside state-of-the-art techniques.

中文翻译：

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丝状忆阻器系统中的多级光存储、动态光调制和偏振控制


电化学金属化 （ECM） 机制正在成为开发光学忆阻器的一种有前途的方法，光学忆阻器是非易失性存储系统，被提议用作神经形态计算应用中的人工突触。与其他系统相比，ECM 忆阻器可提供卓越的运行动态和功率效率，但可重复的逐周期状态切换的挑战以及缺乏先进的光学功能阻碍了它们与光子系统的集成。在这项工作中，提出了一种 ECM 独立忆阻器结构，该结构同时提供波长依赖性的多级非易失性光存储、挥发性光调制和动态偏振控制。结果表明，在存在谐振的情况下，光学读数提供了无噪声、稳健且比电气测量更准确的忆阻器状态信息。当器件在高电阻状态和低电阻状态之间转换时，利用光可以深入了解器件的中间电气水平，即使在发生随机细丝破裂时也能恢复所施加电压的完整记录。最后，研究表明，椭圆偏振光谱法提供了有关阳离子运动动力学以及开关层和电极之间界面处相应介电常数变化的实时信息，因此成为 ECM 忆阻器与最先进技术相辅相成的表征方法。