Thin film ferroelectric photonic-electronic memory

Abstract To reduce system complexity and bridge the interface between electronic and photonic circuits, there is a high demand for a non-volatile memory that can be accessed both electrically and optically. However, practical solutions are still lacking when considering the potential for large-scale CMOS compatible integration. Here, we present an experimental demonstration of a non-volatile photonic-electronic memory based on a ferroelectric-silicon ring resonator. We successfully demonstrate programming and erasing the memory using both electrical and optical methods. The memory cell exhibits a high optical extinction ratio of 6.6 dB at a low working voltage of 5 V and an endurance of 4×104 cycles. Furthermore, the multi-level storage capability is analysed in detail, revealing stable performance with a raw bit-error-rate smaller than 8.8×10-3. This ground-breaking work could be a key technology enabler for future hybrid electronic-photonic systems, targeting a wide range of applications such as photonic interconnect, high-speed data communication, and neuromorphic computing.