Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026
04:57
Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials
Published on: July 18, 2025
1.1K
Ion Gated Synaptic Transistors Based on 2D van der Waals Crystals with Tunable Diffusive Dynamics
Jiadi Zhu1, Yuchao Yang1, Rundong Jia1
1Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices and Circuits (MOE), Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|April 18, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed a novel synaptic transistor using layered materials for neuromorphic computing. This device exhibits tunable short- and long-term plasticity with ultra-low energy consumption, paving the way for efficient artificial intelligence systems.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Neuroscience
- Computer Engineering
Background:
- Neuromorphic computing aims for intelligent, energy-efficient computation.
- Biorealistic synaptic elements with tunable dynamics are crucial for neuromorphic systems.
- Existing synaptic devices often lack robust mechanisms for plasticity control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate an ionic-gating-modulated synaptic transistor.
- To achieve diverse short-term and long-term plasticity with low energy consumption.
- To elucidate the mechanism behind the observed synaptic plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of synaptic transistors using transitional metal dichalcogenides and phosphorus trichalcogenides.
- Characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
- Ab initio calculations to understand ionic gating effects.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a synaptic transistor with tunable short- and long-term plasticity (e.g., excitatory postsynaptic current, paired pulse facilitation).
- Achieved remarkable linearity and ultra-low energy consumption (≈30 fJ per spike).
- Revealed two-stage ionic gating (surface adsorption and internal intercalation) driving plasticity.
Conclusions:
- The synaptic transistor exhibits rich, tunable plasticity through ionic gating.
- The device offers a promising platform for low-power neuromorphic computing systems.
- Tailoring material properties and gate stimulations allows effective control of synaptic activity.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Van der Waals Interactions
71.9K
Atoms and molecules interact with each other through intermolecular forces. These electrostatic forces arise from attractive or repulsive interactions between particles with permanent, partial, or temporary charges. The intermolecular forces between neutral atoms and molecules are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, and dispersion forces, collectively known as van der Waals forces.
71.9K
01:10Van der Waals Equation
6.5K
The ideal gas law is an approximation that works well at high temperatures and low pressures. The van der Waals equation of state (named after the Dutch physicist Johannes van der Waals, 1837−1923) improves it by considering two factors.
First, the attractive forces between molecules, which are stronger at higher densities and reduce the pressure, are considered by adding to the pressure a term equal to the square of the molar density multiplied by a positive coefficient a. Second, the volume...
First, the attractive forces between molecules, which are stronger at higher densities and reduce the pressure, are considered by adding to the pressure a term equal to the square of the molar density multiplied by a positive coefficient a. Second, the volume...
6.5K
04:01Real Gases: Effects of Intermolecular Forces and Molecular Volume Deriving Van der Waals Equation
39.3K
Thus far, the ideal gas law, PV = nRT, has been applied to a variety of different types of problems, ranging from reaction stoichiometry and empirical and molecular formula problems to determining the density and molar mass of a gas. However, the behavior of a gas is often non-ideal, meaning that the observed relationships between its pressure, volume, and temperature are not accurately described by the gas laws.
39.3K
01:24Non-gated Ion Channels
8.3K
Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
8.3K
01:12Mechanically-gated Ion Channels
7.8K
Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
7.8K
01:30Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
4.1K
Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
4.1K