Nanochannel-Based Interfacial Memristor: Electrokinetic Analysis of the Frequency Characteristics

As a novel class of memristors, nanochannel-based interfacial memristors in polydimethylsiloxane offer great flexibility and low cost. With practical attributes of novel transport phenomenon in nanofluidics, analysis of the physical properties and operational mechanisms in such memristor devices is possible. Made of pure soft-matter materials, this type of device exhibits facile tuning of device conductance via the modification of solution interface positions. Under continuous sweep voltage, a typical hysteresis loop for a memristor can be observed. In this article, the dynamic frequency characteristics of this device is measured, which is regarded as a typical memristor characteristic as previously predicted. However, the physical mechanism behind such memristive behaviors and frequency characteristics is seldomly reported. Generalizing conventional physical models, here a comprehensive model including continuous voltage changes and surface tension modifications is proposed, which is able to predict the interface position changes and explain the conductance switching and frequency property experimentally observed in the device. Provided with a probable explanation of the physical mechanism behind this class of device, the model can serve as a candidate method in designing new nanochannel-based structures or materials, aiming at more novel functionalities in neuromorphic computation.

Automated summary

Nanochannel-based interfacial memristors in polydimethylsiloxane offer flexibility and low cost, with the ability to tune device conductance by modifying solution interface positions. The devices exhibit typical hysteresis loops under continuous sweep voltage, and the dynamic frequency characteristics are measured to explore the physical mechanism behind. A comprehensive model is proposed, incorporating continuous voltage changes and surface tension modifications to predict interface position changes and explain conductance switching and frequency property.