Ultrawide-bandwidth boron nitride photonic memristors

Abstract

Photonic memristors based on two-dimensional materials are emerging as critical components for ultrascalable, energy-efficient artificial vision systems, integrating opto-sensing, data storage and processing capabilities. However, existing devices typically exhibit narrow spectral response ranges and operate in a single mode (for example, non-volatility), limiting their applications in complex computing scenarios. Here we introduce photonic memristor arrays based on a wafer-scale hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)/silicon (Si) heterostructure. These memristors are developed via in situ, low-temperature (250 °C), large-area growth of highly homogeneous hBN films on Si-based substrates. The devices exhibit opto-reconfigurability across a broad spectral range from ultraviolet to near infrared. By adjusting the incident laser power, the device can be reconfigured between non-resistive-switching, volatile and non-volatile modes. This light-induced reconfigurability is attributed to the formation of conductive filaments through interactions between hydrogen ions and photogenerated electrons within the engineered hBN/Si heterostructures. Furthermore, the photonic memristor features a switching ratio exceeding 10⁹, retention time surpassing 40,000 s, endurance over 10⁶ cycles and thermal stability up to 300 °C. These findings provide a scalable solution for developing integrated sensing–storage–computation artificial vision systems, fully compatible with sophisticated Si-based semiconductor technologies.