Artificial Visual Systems Fabricated with Ferroelectric van der Waals Heterostructure for In-Memory Computing Applications

Rapid developments in artificial neural network techniques and retina-inspired artificial visual systems are required to realize the sensing, processing, and memorization of an optical signal in a single device. Herein, a ferroelectric field-effect transistor fabricated with CuInP₂S₆ and α-In₂Se₃ van der Waals heterostructures is proposed and demonstrated for the development of an artificial visual system. The dipole polarizations are coupled and bidirectionally locked inside the ferroelectric α-In₂Se₃ along the in-plane and out-of-plane directions and are controlled by the gate voltages. Furthermore, light-induced polarization can change the order of polarization of the dipoles inside α-In₂Se₃. We demonstrate that using the combined control of these electrical and optical signals, the device may function like a retina-inspired vision system. The device can operate across a wide wavelength range (405-850 nm) and detect very low incident light (0.03 mW/cm²). Color recognition, high paired-pulse facilitation (∼170%), and short- to long-term memory transitions through quick learning are observed using this device. Additionally, this device demonstrates different complex processing abilities, including pattern recognition, light adaptation, optical logic operation, and event learning. The proposed ferroelectric heterostructure-based artificial visual system can serve as an essential bridge for fulfilling the future requirements of all-in-one sensing and memory-processing devices.