Photoresponsive Two-Dimensional Magnetic Junctions for Reconfigurable In-Memory Sensing

Magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) lie in the core of magnetic random access memory, holding promise in integrating memory and computing to reduce hardware complexity, transition latency, and power consumption. However, traditional MTJs are insensitive to light, limiting their functionality in in-memory sensing─a crucial component for machine vision systems in artificial intelligence applications. Herein, the convergence of magnetic memory with optical sensing capabilities is achieved in the all-two-dimensional (2D) magnetic junction Fe₃GaTe₂/WSe₂/Fe₃GaTe₂, which combines 2D magnetism and optoelectronic properties. The clean intrinsic band gap and prominent photoresponse of interlayer WSe₂ endow the tunneling barrier with optical tunability. The on-off states of junctions and the magnetoresistance can be flexibly controlled by the intensity of the optical signal at room temperature. Based on the optical-tunable magnetoresistance in all-2D magnetic junctions, a machine vision system with the architecture of in-memory sensing and computing is constructed, which possesses high performance in image recognition. Our work exhibits the advantages of 2D magneto-electronic devices and extends the application scenarios of magnetic memory devices in artificial intelligence.