From fundamentals to frontiers: a review of memristor mechanisms, modeling and emerging applications

The escalating demand for artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoTs), and energy-efficient high-volume data processing has brought the need for innovative solutions to the forefront. The rapid automation surge, while transformative, has unveiled challenges due to processing capacity limitations in this digital age. A promising remedy lies in memristors, offering the potential to transcend the memory and power barriers inherent in the traditional von Neumann architecture, rooted in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices. This review navigates the intricate landscape of memristors, elucidating their diverse mechanisms that diverge across materials and device architectures. In this review, we discuss all the fundamental processes, such as ion migration, charge trapping/de-trapping, and phase transition that underlies the switching behavior of memristor devices and analytical modelling. Unlocking a realm of possibilities, these mechanisms-based devices hold the promise of revolutionizing diverse sectors. From nociceptors to neural networks, photonic memristors to bio-voltage applications, the versatility of memristors is profound. Culminating the discourse, we survey the progress, anticipate challenges, and illuminate forthcoming prospects in the expansive domain of memristor-based applications.