A Multistate Non-Volatile Photoelectronic Memory Device Based on Ferroelectric Tunnel Junction with Modulable Visible Light Photoresponse

Recently, certain ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) exhibit non-volatile modulations on photoresponse as well as tunneling electroresistance (TER) effects related to ferroelectric polarization states. From the opposite perspective, the corresponding polarization states can be read by detecting the levels of the photocurrent. In this study, we fabricate a novel amorphous selenium (a-Se)/PbZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃ (PZT)/Nb-doped SrTiO₃ (NSTO) heterojunction, which exhibits a high TER of 3 × 10⁶. Unlike perovskite oxide FTJs with a limited ultraviolet response, the introduction of a narrow bandgap semiconductor (a-Se) enables self-powered photoresponse within the visible light range. The self-powered photoresponse characteristics can be significantly modulated by ferroelectric polarization. The photocurrent after writing polarization voltages of +4 and −5 V exhibits a 1200% increase. Furthermore, the photocurrent could be clearly distinguished after writing stepwise polarization voltages, and then a multistate information storage is designed with nondestructive readout capacity under light illumination. This work holds great significance in advancing the development of ferroelectric multistate photoelectronic memories with high storage density and expanding the design possibilities for FTJs.