Memristor Based on a Lotus Root/Lactalbumin Bilayer as a Biocompatible Artificial Synapse for Neuromorphic Electronics

Abstract

Neuromorphic computing is a promising solution to overcome the bottleneck of the traditional von Neumann computing architecture and has attracted more and more attention. High-performance artificial synapses are fundamental components of brain-like chips, which are essential for efficient neuromorphic computing. This work reports the preparation of indium tin oxide/lotus root/lactalbumin/Al memristor artificial synapses. The lotus root and lactalbumin are the two active layers of the device. Protonation conduction in lactalbumin and oxygen vacancy conduction in the lotus root cause the device to exhibit synaptic function. The device successfully simulated the potentiation/depression properties of synapses, the transition from short-term memory to long-term memory, learn–forget–relearning behaviors, and spike timing-dependent plasticity. The device provides a possible implementation path for the realization of neuromorphic electronics based on the biomemristor.