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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,081 records · Page 60
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Optofluidic memory and self-induced nonlinear optical phase change for reservoir computing in silicon photonics

Nanophotonics allows to employ light-matter interaction to induce nonlinear optical effects and realize non-conventional memory and computation capabilities, however to date, light-liquid interaction was not considered as a potential mechanism to achieve computation on a nanoscale. Here, we experimentally demonstrate self-induced phase change effect which relies on the coupling between geometric changes of thin liquid film to optical properties of photonic waveguide modes, and then employ it for neuromorphic computing. In our optofluidic silicon photonics system we utilize thermocapillary-based deformation of thin liquid film capable to induce nonlinear effect which is more than one order of magnitude higher compared to the more traditional heat-based thermo-optical effect, and allowing operation as a nonlinear actuator and memory element, both residing at the same compact spatial region. The resulting dynamics allows to implement Reservoir Computing at spatial region which is approximately five orders of magnitude smaller compared to state-of-the-art experimental liquid-based systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

A NWB-based dataset and processing pipeline of human single-neuron activity during a declarative memory task

A challenge for data sharing in systems neuroscience is the multitude of different data formats used. Neurodata Without Borders: Neurophysiology 2.0 (NWB:N) has emerged as a standardized data format for the storage of cellular-level data together with meta-data, stimulus information, and behavior. A key next step to facilitate NWB:N adoption is to provide easy to use processing pipelines to import/export data from/to NWB:N. Here, we present a NWB-formatted dataset of 1863 single neurons recorded from the medial temporal lobes of 59 human subjects undergoing intracranial monitoring while they performed a recognition memory task. We provide code to analyze and export/import stimuli, behavior, and electrophysiological recordings to/from NWB in both MATLAB and Python. The data files are NWB:N compliant, which affords interoperability between programming languages and operating systems. This combined data and code release is a case study for how to utilize NWB:N for human single-neuron recordings and enables easy re-use of this hard-to-obtain data for both teaching and research on the mechanisms of human memory.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2017

3D Printed Silicones with Shape Memory

Direct ink writing enables the layer-by-layer manufacture of ordered, porous structures whose mechanical behavior is driven by architecture and material properties. Here, we incorporate two different gas filled microsphere pore formers to evaluate the effect of shell stiffness and T g on compressive behavior and compression set in siloxane matrix printed structures. The lower T g microsphere structures exhibit substantial compression set when heated near and above T g , with full structural recovery upon reheating without constraint. By contrast, the higher T g microsphere structures exhibit reduced compression set with no recovery upon reheating. Aside from their role in tuning the mechanical behavior of direct ink write structures, polymer microspheres are good candidates for shape memory elastomers requiring structural complexity, with potential applications toward tandem shape memory polymers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

An organic electrochemical transistor for multi-modal sensing, memory and processing

By integrating sensing, memory and processing functionalities, biological nervous systems are energy and area efficient. Emulating such capabilities in artificial systems is, however, challenging and is limited by the device heterogeneity of sensing and processing cores. Here we report an organic electrochemical transistor capable of sensing, memory and processing. The device has a vertical traverse architecture and a crystalline–amorphous channel that can be selectively doped by ions to enable two reconfigurable modes: a volatile receptor and a non-volatile synapse. As a volatile receptor, the device is capable of multi-modal sensing and is responsive to stimuli such as ions and light. As a non-volatile synapse, it is capable of 10-bit analogue states, low switching stochasticity and good state retention. We also show that the homogeneous integration of the devices could provide functions such as conditioned reflexes and could be used for real-time cardiac disease diagnoses via reservoir computing.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Inductance meets memory in a quantum magnet

Orbital degrees of freedom offer a largely untapped route to emergent dynamical phenomena in correlated quantum materials. However, it remains unclear whether collective orbital states can intrinsically generate both reactive and memory functionalities in a bulk system. Here we show that in the ferrimagnet Mn₃Si₂Te₆, nonequilibrium reconfiguration of chiral orbital currents produces both emergent inductance and nonvolatile memristance as intrinsic properties of a single crystal. At low frequency and under a magnetic field along the c axis, coherent orbital-current domains generate robust clockwise inductive I-V loops. At higher frequency and low field, current-driven first-order reconfiguration leads to incomplete reversal and metastable trapping, producing an intrinsic electromotive force and a finite remanent voltage at zero current. These results establish orbital currents as a class of quantum state variables that encode both reactive and memory functionalities, opening routes toward intrinsically reconfigurable and energy-efficient electronic systems.

Cao, Tristan [University of Colorado, Boulder]↗
DOE OSTI2024

Energy efficient photonic memory based on electrically programmable embedded III-V/Si memristors: switches and filters

Abstract Over the past few years, extensive work on optical neural networks has been investigated in hopes of achieving orders of magnitude improvement in energy efficiency and compute density via all-optical matrix-vector multiplication. However, these solutions are limited by a lack of high-speed power power-efficient phase tuners, on-chip non-volatile memory, and a proper material platform that can heterogeneously integrate all the necessary components needed onto a single chip. We address these issues by demonstrating embedded multi-layer HfO 2 /Al 2 O 3 memristors with III-V/Si photonics which facilitate non-volatile optical functionality for a variety of devices such as Mach-Zehnder Interferometers, and (de-)interleaver filters. The Mach-Zehnder optical memristor exhibits non-volatile optical phase shifts > π with ~33 dB signal extinction while consuming 0 electrical power consumption. We demonstrate 6 non-volatile states each capable of 4 Gbps modulation. (De-) interleaver filters were demonstrated to exhibit memristive non-volatile passband transformation with full set/reset states. Time duration tests were performed on all devices and indicated non-volatility up to 24 hours and beyond. We demonstrate non-volatile III-V/Si optical memristors with large electric-field driven phase shifts and reconfigurable filters with true 0 static power consumption. As a result, co-integrated photonic memristors offer a pathway for in-memory optical computing and large-scale non-volatile photonic circuits.

Cheung, Stanley (ORCID:0000000248860013)↗
DOE OSTI2017

Ferroelectric symmetry-protected multibit memory cell

Here, the tunability of electrical polarization in ferroelectrics is instrumental to their applications in information-storage devices. The existing ferroelectric memory cells are based on the two-level storage capacity with the standard binary logics. However, the latter have reached its fundamental limitations. Here we propose ferroelectric multibit cells (FMBC) utilizing the ability of multiaxial ferroelectric materials to pin the polarization at a sequence of the multistable states. Employing the catastrophe theory principles we show that these states are symmetry-protected against the information loss and thus realize novel topologically-controlled access memory (TAM). Our findings enable developing a platform for the emergent many-valued non-Boolean information technology and target challenges posed by needs of quantum and neuromorphic computing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bonding similarities and differences between Y–Sb–Te and Sc–Sb–Te phase-change memory materials

The scandium (Sc) – alloyed Sb 2 Te 3 phase-change alloy has recently been found to enable ultrafast crystal nucleation due to the formation of Sc-stabilized octahedral motifs in the amorphous phase, rendering cache-type phase-change memory feasible. When yttrium (Y) is added, however, non-octahedral bonding patterns form in the amorphous Sb 2 Te 3 -based network even though Y has a valence electron configuration similar to that of Sc and also forms perfect octahedral bonding environments with tellurium in the YTe crystal. Here we elucidate the origin of this difference between Sc and Y, by carrying out thorough ab initio simulations and orbital-based bonding analyses on amorphous Y–Sb–Te and Sc–Sb–Te compounds. We also demonstrate how the smooth overlap of atomic positions (SOAP) similarity kernel can be used to quantify the structural similarity of local motifs in the amorphous phase with respect to various crystalline yttrium and scandium tellurides, both in the nearest-neighbor shell and beyond. We discover that the bonding contrast of Y- and Sc-centered structural motifs in amorphous Sb 2 Te 3 stems from their parent crystals at high Te concentrations. The larger atomic radius of Y and the weaker charge transfer when bonded with Te is found to allow more Te neighbors and cause a more open bonding environment, leading to higher coordination numbers and non-octahedral environments. We discuss the implications of the different local environments for practical applications in memory devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

In situ observation of nickel as an oxidizable electrode material for the solid-electrolyte-based resistive random access memory

In this letter, we dynamically investigate the resistive switching characteristics and physical mechanism of the Ni/ZrO{sub 2}/Pt device. The device shows stable bipolar resistive switching behaviors after forming process, which is similar to the Ag/ZrO{sub 2}/Pt and Cu/ZrO{sub 2}/Pt devices. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we observe in real time that several conductive filaments are formed across the ZrO{sub 2} layer between Ni and Pt electrodes after forming. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results confirm that Ni is the main composition of the conductive filaments. The ON-state resistance increases with increasing temperature, exhibiting the feature of metallic conduction. In addition, the calculated resistance temperature coefficient is equal to that of the 10-30 nm diameter Ni nanowire, further indicating that the nanoscale Ni conductive bridge is the physical origin of the observed conductive filaments. The resistive switching characteristics and the conductive filament's component of Ni/ZrO{sub 2}/Pt device are consistent with the characteristics of the typical solid-electrolyte-based resistive random access memory. Therefore, aside from Cu and Ag, Ni can also be used as an oxidizable electrode material for resistive random access memory applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Intrinsic SiO{sub x}-based unipolar resistive switching memory. II. Thermal effects on charge transport and characterization of multilevel programing

Multilevel programing and charge transport characteristics of intrinsic SiO{sub x}-based resistive switching memory are investigated using TaN/SiO{sub x}/n{sup ++}Si (MIS) and TiW/SiO{sub x}/TiW (MIM) device structures. Current transport characteristics of high- and low-resistance states (HRS and LRS) are studied in both device structures during multilevel operation. Analysis of device thermal response demonstrates that the effective electron energy barrier is strongly dependent on the resistance of the programed state, with estimates of 0.1 eV in the LRS and 0.6 eV in the HRS. Linear data fitting and conductance analyses indicate Poole-Frenkel emission or hopping conductance in the low-voltage region, whereas Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) or trap-assisted tunneling (TAT) is indicated at moderate voltage. Characterizations using hopping transport lead to hopping distance estimates of ∼1 nm in the LRS for both device structures. Relative permittivity values (ε{sub r}) were extracted using the Poole-Frenkel formulism and estimates of local filament temperature, where ε{sub r} values were ∼80 in the LRS and ∼4 in the HRS, suggesting a strongly polarized medium in the LRS. The onset of F-N tunneling or TAT corresponds to an observed “overshoot” in the I-V response with an estimated threshold of 1.6 ± 0.2 V, in good agreement with reported electro-luminescence results for LRS devices. Resistive switching is discussed in terms of electrochemical reactions between common SiO{sub 2} defects, and specific defect energy levels are assigned to the dominant transitions in the I-V response. The overshoot response in the LRS is consistent with TAT through either the Eγ' oxygen vacancy or the hydrogen bridge defect, both of which are reported to have an effective bandgap of 1.7 eV. The SET threshold at ∼2.5 V is modeled as hydrogen release from the (Si-H){sub 2} defect to generate the hydrogen bridge, and the RESET transition is modeled as an electrochemical reaction that re-forms (SiH){sub 2}. The results provide further insights into charge transport and help identify potential switching mechanisms in SiO{sub x}-based unipolar resistive switching memory.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Resistive switching and conductance quantization in Ag/SiO{sub 2}/indium tin oxide resistive memories

The Ag/SiO{sub 2}/indium tin oxide (ITO) devices exhibit bipolar resistive switching with a large memory window of ∼10{sup 2}, satisfactory endurance of >500 cycles, good retention property of >2000 s, and fast operation speed of <100 ns, thus being a type of promising resistive memory. Under slow voltage sweep measurements, conductance plateaus with a conductance value of integer or half-integer multiples of single atomic point contact have been observed, which agree well with the physical phenomenon of conductance quantization. More importantly, the Ag/SiO{sub 2}/ITO devices exhibit more distinct quantized conductance plateaus under pulse measurements, thereby showing the potential for realizing ultra-high storage density.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Macrospin modeling of sub-ns pulse switching of perpendicularly magnetized free layer via spin-orbit torques for cryogenic memory applications

We model, using the macrospin approximation, the magnetic reversal of a perpendicularly magnetized nanostructured free layer formed on a normal, heavy-metal nanostrip, subjected to spin-orbit torques (SOTs) generated by short (≤0.5 ns) current pulses applied to the nanostrip, to examine the potential for SOT-based fast, efficient cryogenic memory. Due to thermal fluctuations, if solely an anti-damping torque is applied, then, for a device with sufficiently low anisotropy (H{sub anis}{sup 0} ∼ 1 kOe) suitable for application in cryogenic memory, a high magnetic damping parameter (α∼0.1−0.2) is required for reliable switching over a significant variation of pulse current. The additional presence of a substantial field-like torque improves switching reliability even for low damping (α≤0.03).

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

On the bipolar resistive-switching characteristics of Al₂O₃- and HfO₂-based memory cells operated in the soft-breakdown regime

In this article, we investigate extensively the bipolar-switching properties of Al₂O₃- and HfO₂-based resistive-switching memory cells operated at low current down to <1 μA. We show that the switching characteristics differ considerably from those typically reported for larger current range (>15 μA), which we relate as intrinsic to soft-breakdown (SBD) regime. We evidence a larger impact of the used switching-oxide in this current range, due to lower density of oxygen-vacancy (V{sub o}) defects in the SBD regime. In this respect, deep resetting and large memory window may be achieved using the stoichiometric Al₂O₃ material due to efficient V{sub o} annihilation, although no complete erasure of the conductive-filament (CF) is obtained. We finally emphasize that the conduction may be described by a quantum point-contact (QPC) model down to very low current level where only a few V{sub o} defects compose the QPC constriction. The large switching variability inherent to this latter aspect is mitigated by CF shape tuning through adequate engineering of an Al₂O₃\HfO₂ bilayer.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Self-selection bipolar resistive switching phenomena observed in NbON/NbN bilayer for cross-bar array memory applications

In this letter, to integrate bipolar resistive switching cells into cross bar array (CBA) structure, we study one-selector (1S) and one-resistor (1R) behavior of a niobium oxynitride (NbON) and niobium nitride (NbN) bilayer for the applications of resistive random access memory (RRAM). In this structure, a NbN layer exhibits bipolar switching characteristics while a NbON layer acts as the selector. The NbN-based 1S1R devices within a single RRAM memory cell can be directly integrated into a CBA structure without the need of extra diodes; this can significantly reduce the fabrication complexity.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Arbitrary unitary transformations on optical states using a quantum memory

We show that optical memories arranged along an optical path can perform arbitrary unitary transformations on frequency domain optical states. The protocol offers favourable scaling and can be used with any quantum memory that uses an off-resonant Raman transition to reversibly transfer optical information to an atomic spin coherence.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electrical performance of phase change memory cells with Ge{sub 3}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 6} deposited by molecular beam epitaxy

Here, we report on the electrical characterization of phase change memory cells containing a Ge{sub 3}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 6} (GST) alloy grown in its crystalline form by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE). It is found that the high temperature growth on the amorphous substrate results in a polycrystalline film exhibiting a rough surface with a grain size of approximately 80–150 nm. A detailed electrical characterization has been performed, including I-V characteristic curves, programming curves, set operation performance, crystallization activation at low temperature, and resistance drift, in order to determine the material related parameters. The results indicate very good alignment of the electrical parameters with the current state-of-the-art GST, deposited by physical vapor deposition. Such alignment enables a possible employment of the MBE deposition technique for chalcogenide materials in the phase change memory technology, thus leading to future studies of as-deposited crystalline chalcogenides as integrated in electrical vehicles.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Correlative transmission electron microscopy and electrical properties study of switchable phase-change random access memory line cells

Phase-change memory line cells, where the active material has a thickness of 15 nm, were prepared for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation such that they still could be switched and characterized electrically after the preparation. The result of these observations in comparison with detailed electrical characterization showed (i) normal behavior for relatively long amorphous marks, resulting in a hyperbolic dependence between SET resistance and SET current, indicating a switching mechanism based on initially long and thin nanoscale crystalline filaments which thicken gradually, and (ii) anomalous behavior, which holds for relatively short amorphous marks, where initially directly a massive crystalline filament is formed that consumes most of the width of the amorphous mark only leaving minor residual amorphous regions at its edges. The present results demonstrate that even in (purposely) thick TEM samples, the TEM sample preparation hampers the probability to observe normal behavior and it can be debated whether it is possible to produce electrically switchable TEM specimen in which the memory cells behave the same as in their original bulk embedded state.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Memory effect in silicon time-gated single-photon avalanche diodes

We present a comprehensive characterization of the memory effect arising in thin-junction silicon Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) when exposed to strong illumination. This partially unknown afterpulsing-like noise represents the main limiting factor when time-gated acquisitions are exploited to increase the measurement dynamic range of very fast (picosecond scale) and faint (single-photon) optical signals following a strong stray one. We report the dependences of this unwelcome signal-related noise on photon wavelength, detector temperature, and biasing conditions. Our results suggest that this so-called “memory effect” is generated in the deep regions of the detector, well below the depleted region, and its contribution on detector response is visible only when time-gated SPADs are exploited to reject a strong burst of photons.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗