Orbital angular momentum–driven multistate photomemory

Abstract

Current optical memory technologies face critical challenges, including limited precision in multistate control, energy inefficiency, and inadequate adaptability across diverse material platforms. To directly address these issues, this study introduces a noncontact approach by exploiting the unique properties of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light. The distinctive longitudinal electric field generated by OAM light substantially enhances the density of trap states in materials such as molybdenum disulfide, as the primary material for investigation, and others as supplementary examples. This enhancement enables precise modulation of key device characteristics, including readout current, hysteresis window, and charge storage capacity, with quantitative behavior accurately modeled by the Poole-Frenkel effect. Our results reveal the transformative potential of OAM light in enabling multilevel memory states with exceptional tunability and versatility across different material systems. This work underscores the viability of OAM-driven memory as a platform for the next generation of highly functional, optically responsive memory devices.