Thermal-Actuated Optoelectronic Memory Medium Based on Carbon Nanotube− and Nickel−Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Composites

Employing the strong capability of absorbing near-infrared (NIR) light and converting the heat of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), and the fast thermal actuation of carbon nanotube−poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) nanocomposite, in this work we proposed a novel NIR optoelectronic memory (OEM) medium based on a SWNT−PDMS/Ni−PDMS composite bilayer, which was actuated by a low-power-density NIR light illumination. The demo device has shown high performance, including a low operating NIR intensity, a high switching ratio, and a rapid photoresponse with no relaxation. In general, the performance has remarkably outperformed state-of-the-art polymer-based OEM devices. Moreover, the device can be performed reversibly using electric pulses. This study provides a new mechanism to design OEMs and other NIR optic-related devices.