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Abstract Chalcogenide-based nonvolatile phase change materials (PCMs) have a long history of usage, from bulk disk memory to all-optic neuromorphic computing circuits. Being able to perform uniform phase transitions over a subwavelength scale makes PCMs particularly suitable for photonic applications. For switching between nonvolatile states, the conventional chalcogenide phase change materials are brought to a melting temperature to break the covalent bonds. The cooling rate determines the final state. Reversible polymorphic layered materials provide an alternative atomic transition mechanism for low-energy electronic (small domain size) and photonic nonvolatile memories (which require a large effective tuning area). The small energy barrier of breaking van der Waals force facilitates low energy, fast-reset, and melting-free phase transitions, which reduces the chance of element segregation-associated device failure. The search for such material families starts with polymorphic In2Se3, which has two layered structures that are topologically similar and stable at room temperature. In this perspective, we first review the history of different memory schemes, compare the thermal dynamics of phase transitions in amorphous-crystalline and In2Se3, detail the device implementations for all-optical memory, and discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with polymorphic memory.
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Structural Phase Transitions between Layered Indium Selenide for Integrated Photonic Memory
Abstract The primary mechanism of optical memoristive devices relies on phase transitions between amorphous and crystalline states. The slow or energy‐hungry amorphous–crystalline transitions in optical phase‐change materials are detrimental to the scalability and performance of devices. Leveraging an integrated photonic platform, nonvolatile and reversible switching between two layered structures of indium selenide (In2Se3) triggered by a single nanosecond pulse is demonstrated. The high‐resolution pair distribution function reveals the detailed atomistic transition pathways between the layered structures. With interlayer “shear glide” and isosymmetric phase transition, switching between the α‐ and β‐structural states contains low re‐configurational entropy, allowing reversible switching between layered structures. Broadband refractive index contrast, optical transparency, and volumetric effect in the crystalline–crystalline phase transition are experimentally characterized in molecular‐beam‐epitaxy‐grown thin films and compared to ab initio calculations. The nonlinear resonator transmission spectra measure of incremental linear loss rate of 3.3 GHz, introduced by a 1.5 µm‐long In2Se3‐covered layer, resulted from the combinations of material absorption and scattering.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1652994
- PAR ID:
- 10445437
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Materials
- Volume:
- 34
- Issue:
- 26
- ISSN:
- 0935-9648
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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