A plasmon-electron addressable and CMOS compatible random access memory.

Greig, Shawn R; Firby, Curtis J; Muneshwar, Triratna; Alagöz, Serhat; Hopmann, Eric; Carnio, Brett N; Zhang, Mingyuan; Ciarniello, Grace et al. · Sci Adv · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The rapid increase in data generation and storage poses substantial challenges, necessitating a transition from traditional charge-based devices to high-speed optical alternatives for computational tasks. Photon-assisted or plasmon-assisted memory devices emerge as promising solutions for facilitating faster read/write operations. By using surface plasmon polaritons for writing operations, we can dynamically read memory states through the measurement of tunneling currents in thin layers of HfO<sub>2</sub> ferroelectric materials sandwiched between Au thin film electrodes. Our plasmon-addressable memory platform offers versatile functionality in both nanoelectronic and nanoplasmonic systems, demonstrating a robust hybrid architecture with transformative potential for computing and data processing applications.