Non-volatile epsilon-near-zero readout memory

The lack of memory effect of silicon makes it unfeasible to store electronic data in photonics. Here we propose a non-volatile readout photonic memory, which is electronically written/erased and optically read. The memory utilizes indium tin oxide as a floating gate and exploits its epsilon-near-zero regime and electro-optic activity. Extinction ratios greater than 10 dB in a bandwidth of 100 nm for a 5 μm long memory are obtained. Furthermore, power consumption in the order of microwatts with retention times of about a decade have been predicted. The proposed structure opens a pathway for developing highly integrated electro-optic devices such as memory banks.