Simulating and Implementing Broadband van der Waals Artificial Visual Synapses Based on Photoconductivity and Pyroconductivity Mechanisms

With advancements in artificial neural networks and information processing technology, a variety of neuromorphic synaptic devices have been proposed to emulate human sensory systems, with vision being a crucial information source. Moreover, as practical applications become increasingly complex, the need for multifunctional visual synapses to expand the application range becomes urgent. This study introduces a MoS₂/WSe₂ van der Waals (vdW) heterojunction and utilizes it to replicate artificial visual synapses by harnessing the cooperative effect of photoconductivity and pyroconductivity mechanisms. By adjusting the optical power, pulse width, and pulse number of the optical stimulus, the heterojunction effectively simulates synaptic properties. Under the combined action of an external electric field and the built-in electric field (<i>E</i>_bi), the heterojunction exhibits broadband synaptic properties in the visible to near-infrared spectrum (405-1550 nm) while consuming low power of 0.3-1.1 pJ per spike. The heterojunction can detect ultraweak optical signals at 660 nm with an optical power intensity of 14 μW/cm², displaying a high specific detectivity (<i>D</i>*) of 3.98 × 10¹¹ Jones. Furthermore, at 405, 808, 1064, and 1550 nm, the <i>D</i>* of the heterojunction is 4.16 × 10¹¹, 3.61 × 10⁹, 4.96 × 10⁷, and 1.64 × 10⁷ Jones, respectively. Visual synaptic devices based on the MoS₂/WSe₂ vdW heterojunction hold significant promise for the future development of integrated sensing and memory processing devices.