A Te-based memristor with short-term depression behavior

Abstract Short-term depression (STd) is a critical component of neuronal plasticity. However, the emulation of STd in the emerging memristive neuromorphic devices remains challenging because memristors are almost invariably set-first and, if volatile, typically exhibit volatile set behavior. Although these characteristics are essential for emulating short-term facilitation (STf), they contradict the requirements for emulating STd. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a Te-based memristor with reset-first behavior as well as volatile reset switching characteristic. These unusual phenomena are connected to the fabrication-induced Te intermixing in the originally insulating interlayer and the unique thermo-electric behavior of Te in response to electrical stimuli. With these properties, the Te-based memristor can naturally emulate neuronal STd, in contrast to Ag-based memristors which behave like STf synapses. This work advances the use of Te for neuromorphic computing and extends the functionalities of memristors.