Memristor devices have history-dependent charge transport properties that are ideal for neuromorphic computing applications. We reveal a memristor material and mechanism in the layered Mott insulator α-RuCl3. The pinched hysteresis loops and S-shaped negative differential resistance in bulk crystals verify memristor behavior and are attributed to a nonlinear coupling between charge injection over a Schottky barrier at the electrical contacts and concurrent Joule heating. Direct simulations of this coupling can reproduce the device characteristics.
References
1.
Y.
Zhou
and S.
Ramanathan
, “Mott memory and neuromorphic devices
,” Proc. IEEE
103
(8
), 1289
–1310
(2015
).2.
J.
del Valle
, J. G.
Ramírez
, M. J.
Rozenberg
, and I. K.
Schuller
, “Challenges in materials and devices for resistive-switching-based neuromorphic computing
,” J. Appl. Phys.
124
(21
), 211101
(2018
).3.
M.
Davies
, N.
Srinivasa
, T.
Lin
, G.
Chinya
, Y.
Cao
, S. H.
Choday
, G.
Dimou
, P.
Joshi
, N.
Imam
, S.
Jain
, Y.
Liao
, C.
Lin
, A.
Lines
, R.
Liu
, D.
Mathaikutty
, S.
McCoy
, A.
Paul
, J.
Tse
, G.
Venkataramanan
, Y.
Weng
, A.
Wild
, Y.
Yang
, and H.
Wang
, “Loihi: A neuromorphic manycore processor with on-chip learning
,” IEEE Micro
38
(1
), 82
–99
(2018
).4.
L.
Chua
, “Memristor-the missing circuit element
,” IEEE Trans. Circuit Theory
18
(5
), 507
–519
(1971
).5.
D. B.
Strukov
, G. S.
Snider
, D. R.
Stewart
, and R. S.
Williams
, “The missing memristor found
,” Nature
453
(7191
), 80
–83
(2008
).6.
L.
Chua
, “If it's pinched it's a memristor
,” Semicond. Sci. Technol.
29
(10
), 104001
(2014
).7.
G. A.
Gibson
, S.
Musunuru
, J.
Zhang
, K.
Vandenberghe
, J.
Lee
, C.-C.
Hsieh
, W.
Jackson
, Y.
Jeon
, D.
Henze
, Z.
Li
, and R.
Stanley Williams
, “An accurate locally active memristor model for S-type negative differential resistance in NbOx
,” Appl. Phys. Lett.
108
(2
), 023505
(2016
).8.
M. D.
Pickett
, G.
Medeiros-Ribeiro
, and R. S.
Williams
, “A scalable neuristor built with Mott memristors
,” Nat. Mater
12
, 114
(2013
).9.
H.
Aoki
, N.
Tsuji
, M.
Eckstein
, M.
Kollar
, T.
Oka
, and P.
Werner
, “Nonequilibrium dynamical mean-field theory and its applications
,” Rev. Mod. Phys.
86
(2
), 779
–837
(2014
).10.
T.
Oka
and H.
Aoki
, “Ground-state decay rate for the Zener breakdown in band and Mott insulators
,” Phys. Rev. Lett.
95
(13
), 137601
(2005
).11.
M. J.
Hollander
, Y.
Liu
, W.-J.
Lu
, L.-J.
Li
, Y.-P.
Sun
, J. A.
Robinson
, and S.
Datta
, “Electrically driven reversible insulator–metal phase transition in 1T-TaS2
,” Nano Lett.
15
(3
), 1861
–1866
(2015
).12.
M.
Yoshida
, R.
Suzuki
, Y.
Zhang
, M.
Nakano
, and Y.
Iwasa
, “Memristive phase switching in two-dimensional 1T-TaS2 crystals
,” Sci. Adv.
1
(9
), e1500606
(2015
).13.
B.
Grisafe
, R.
Zhao
, R. K.
Ghosh
, J. A.
Robinson
, and S.
Datta
, “Electrically triggered insulator-to-metal phase transition in two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures
,” Appl. Phys. Lett.
113
(14
), 142101
(2018
).14.
V.
, Guiot
, L.
Cario
, E.
Janod
, B.
Corraze
, V.
Ta Phuoc
, M.
Rozenberg
, P.
Stoliar
, T.
Cren
, and D.
Roditchev
, “Avalanche breakdown in GaTa4Se8−xTex narrow-gap Mott insulators
,” Nat. Commun.
4
, 1722
(2013
)15.
T.
Oka
and N.
Nagaosa
, “Interfaces of correlated electron systems: Proposed mechanism for colossal electroresistance
,” Phys. Rev. Lett.
95
(26
), 266403
(2005
).16.
C.
Acha
and M. J.
Rozenberg
, “Non-volatile resistive switching in the dielectric superconductor YBa2 Cu3 O7−δ
,” J. Phys. Condens. Matter
21
(4
), 045702
(2009
).17.
A.
Palau
, A.
Fernandez-Rodriguez
, J. C.
Gonzalez-Rosillo
, X.
Granados
, M.
Coll
, B.
Bozzo
, R.
Ortega-Hernandez
, J.
Suñé
, N.
Mestres
, X.
Obradors
, and T.
Puig
, “Electrochemical tuning of metal insulator transition and nonvolatile resistive switching in superconducting films
,” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces
10
(36
), 30522
–30531
(2018
).18.
L.
Cario
, C.
Vaju
, B.
Corraze
, V.
Guiot
, and E.
Janod
, “Electric-field-induced resistive switching in a family of Mott insulators: towards a new class of RRAM memories
,” Adv. Mater.
22
(45
), 5193
–5197
(2010
).19.
J. C.
Gonzalez-Rosillo
, R.
Ortega-Hernandez
, J.
Jareño-Cerulla
, E.
Miranda
, J.
Suñe
, X.
Granados
, X.
Obradors
, A.
Palau
, and T.
Puig
, “Volume resistive switching in metallic perovskite oxides driven by the metal-insulator transition
,” J. Electroceram.
39
(1
), 185
–196
(2017
).20.
J. C.
Gonzalez‐Rosillo
, R.
Ortega-Hernandez
, B.
Arndt
, M.
Coll
, R.
Dittmann
, X.
Obradors
, A.
Palau
, J.
Suñe
, and T.
Puig
, “Engineering oxygen migration for homogeneous volume resistive switching in 3-terminal devices
,” Adv. Electron. Mater.
5
(9
), 1800629
(2019
).21.
S.-Y.
Park
, S.-H.
Do
, K.-Y.
Choi
, D.
Jang
, T.-H.
Jang
, J.
Schefer
, C.-M.
Wu
, J. S.
Gardner
, J. M. S.
Park
, J.-H.
Park
, and S.
Ji
, “Emergence of the isotropic Kitaev honeycomb lattice with two-dimensional ising universality in α-RuCl3
,” arXiv:1609.05690 (2019
).22.
L.
Esaki
, “New phenomenon in narrow germanium p−n Junctions
,” Phys. Rev.
109
(2
), 603
–604
(1958
).23.
P.
Boriskov
and A.
Velichko
, “Switch elements with S-shaped current-voltage characteristic in models of neural oscillators
,” Electron.
8
(9
), 922
(2019
).24.
H.-C.
Wei
, Y.-H.
Wang
, and M.-P.
Houng
, “N-shaped negative differential resistance in a transistor structure with a resistive gate
,” IEEE Trans. Electron Devices
41
(8
), 1327
–1333
(1994
).25.
Y.
Taguchi
, T.
Matsumoto
, and Y.
Tokura
, “Dielectric breakdown of one-dimensional Mott insulators Sr2CuO3 and Sr2CuO2
,” Phys. Rev. B
62
(11
), 7015
–7018
(2000
).26.
G.
Stefanovich
, A.
Pergament
, and D.
Stefanovich
, “Electrical switching and Mott transition in VO2
,” J. Phys.: Condens. Matter
12
(41
), 8837
–8845
(2000
).27.
S.
Sinn
, C. H.
Kim
, B. H.
Kim
, K. D.
Lee
, C. J.
Won
, J. S.
Oh
, M.
Han
, Y. J.
Chang
, N.
Hur
, H.
Sato
, B.-G.
Park
, C.
Kim
, H.-D.
Kim
, and T. W.
Noh
, “Electronic structure of the Kitaev material α-RuCl3 probed by photoemission and inverse photoemission spectroscopies
,” Sci. Rep
6
, 39544
(2016
).28.
L. J.
Sandilands
, C. H.
Sohn
, H. J.
Park
, S. Y.
Kim
, K. W.
Kim
, J. A.
Sears
, Y.-J.
Kim
, and T. W.
Noh
, “Optical probe of Heisenberg-Kitaev magnetism in α-RuCl3
,” Phys. Rev. B
94
(19
), 195156
(2016
).29.
T.
Oka
and H.
Aoki
, “Dielectric breakdown in a Mott insulator: many-body Schwinger-Landau-Zener mechanism studied with a generalized Bethe Ansatz
,” Phys. Rev. B
81
, 033103
(2010
).30.
T.
Oka
, “Nonlinear doublon production in a Mott insulator: Landau-Dykhne method applied to an integrable model
,” Phys. Rev. B
86
(7
), 075148
(2012
).31.
R.
Yang
, K.
Terabe
, Y.
Yao
, T.
Tsuruoka
, T.
Hasegawa
, J. K.
Gimzewski
, and M.
Aono
, “Synaptic plasticity and memory functions achieved in a WO3−x-based nanoionics device by using the principle of atomic switch operation
,” Nanotechnology
24
(38
), 384003
(2013
).32.
C.
Sung
, H.
Hwang
, and I. K.
Yoo
, “Perspective: A review on memristive hardware for neuromorphic computation
,” J. Appl. Phys
124
(15
), 151903
(2018
).33.
S.
Bagdzevicius
, K.
Maas
, M.
Boudard
, and M.
Burriel
, “Interface-type resistive switching in perovskite materials
,” J. Electroceram.
39
(1
), 157
–184
(2017
).34.
D.
Hirobe
, M.
Sato
, Y.
Shiomi
, H.
Tanaka
, and E.
Saitoh
, “Magnetic thermal conductivity far above the N\'eel temperatures in the Kitaev-magnet candidate α-RuCl3
,” Phys. Rev. B
95
(24
), 241112
(2017
).35.
S.
Widmann
, V.
Tsurkan
, D. A.
Prishchenko
, V. G.
Mazurenko
, A. A.
Tsirlin
, and A.
Loidl
, “Thermodynamic evidence of fractionalized excitations in α-RuCl3
,” Phys. Rev. B
99
(9
), 094415
(2019
).36.
H.-K.
Park
and J.
Choi
, “Origin of voltage-dependent high ideality factors in graphene–silicon diodes
,” Adv. Electron. Mater.
4
(1
), 1700317
(2018
).37.
C.-C.
Chen
, M.
Aykol
, C.-C.
Chang
, A. F. J.
Levi
, and S. B.
Cronin
, “Graphene-silicon Schottky diodes
,” Nano Lett.
11
(5
), 1863
–1867
(2011
).38.
M.
Grönke
, P.
Schmidt
, M.
Valldor
, S.
Oswald
, D.
Wolf
, A.
Lubk
, B.
Büchner
, and S.
Hampel
, “Chemical vapor growth and delamination of α-RuCl3 nanosheets down to the monolayer limit
,” Nanoscale
10
(40
), 19014
–19022
(2018
).39.
B.
Zhou
, Y.
Wang
, G. B.
Osterhoudt
, P.
Lampen-Kelley
, D.
Mandrus
, R.
He
, K. S.
Burch
, and E. A.
Henriksen
, “Possible structural transformation and enhanced magnetic fluctuations in exfoliated α-RuCl3
,” J. Phys. Chem. Solids
128
, 291
–295
(2019
).40.
S.
Wang
, D. W.
Zhang
, and P.
Zhou
, “Two-dimensional materials for synaptic electronics and neuromorphic systems
,” Sci. Bull.
64
(15
), 1056
–1066
(2019
).41.
V. K.
Sangwan
and M. C.
Hersam
, “neuromorphic nanoelectronic materials
,” Nat. Nanotechnol
(published online 2020
).© 2020 Author(s).
2020
Author(s)
You do not currently have access to this content.
