Reconfigurable Memlogic Long Wave Infrared Sensing with Superconductors

Abstract Superconductors possess advantages in two device categories: quantum-limited optical sensors covering a wide electromagnetic spectrum and quantum logic devices supporting computation beyond von Neumann architectures. Combining both categories presents an opportunity to revolutionize the sensory industry through in-sensor computing, reducing communication latency and power consumption. Additionally, optically encoded computation enables visual input for quantum computers and facilitates long-distance interactions between distributed systems. However, such attempts are still nascent, primarily focusing on new materials other than superconductors. Here, we report a superconducting niobium long-wave infrared sensor with logic and memory functions. Exploiting the bistability of superconducting nanowires, state transitions between normal and superconducting states can be triggered by combined optical and electrical pulses. The endurance performance, allowing for states persistence over time (>105 s), exceeds conventional phase change memories. Utilizing these switchable characteristics, our memlogic sensor supports reconfigurable logic functions, making it suitable for encrypted communication applications. Enhanced by an in-situ resonant metamaterial absorber design, it achieves ultrahigh sensitivity in the long-wave infrared region (D*=1.1×1015 [email protected] μm m). This work establishes the foundation for all-in-one memlogic optical sensors based on the superconductor platform, surpassing human retina limitations and facilitating intelligent remote sensing, encrypted communication and visional-input superconducting quantum computer etc.