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Multifunctional Ultralow-Power-Consumption Artificial Optoelectronic Synapses Based on the Heterojunctions of
Jianyu Jiang1, Yunjie Liu2, Jiang Li3
1Shandong Key Laboratory of Intelligent Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|November 18, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed novel low-power brain-inspired optoelectronic synapses using MoO3/WO3 heterojunctions. These artificial synapses mimic neural functions with high accuracy and ultra-low energy consumption for advanced AI vision systems.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Artificial Intelligence
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Brain-inspired computing offers high efficiency for artificial vision.
- Single-oxide synapses suffer from high power consumption, limiting practical use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop multifunctional heterojunction optoelectronic synapses with significantly reduced power consumption.
- To investigate neuromorphic functionalities under electrical and optical stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of MoO3/WO3 metal-oxide heterojunctions via electron beam evaporation.
- Characterization of synaptic device performance, including plasticity and accuracy.
- Development of 4x4 optoelectronic synapse arrays for visual perception tasks.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated versatile neuromorphic functionalities (long- and short-term plasticity).
- Achieved 92.4% accuracy in handwritten digit recognition.
- Exhibited ultra-low power consumption (67.6 fJ per synaptic event), comparable to biological synapses.
Conclusions:
- The MoO3/WO3 heterojunction optoelectronic synapses offer a promising solution for ultralow-power AI vision chips.
- This work provides a foundation for next-generation artificial intelligence hardware.
- The developed devices enable real-time visual perception and memory behaviors.
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