Heterogeneous stimuli induced nonassociative learning behavior in ZnO nanowire memristor

Nonassociative learning is a biologically essential and evolutionarily adaptive behavior in organisms. The bionic simulation of nonassociative learning based on electronic devices is essential to the neuromorphic computing. In this work, nonassociative learning is mimicked by a ZnO nanowire memristor without any other peripheral control circuit. The memristor demonstrates habituation and sensitization behaviors at the electrical and optical stimuli. Typical network-level parametric characteristics of habituation in neuroscience are realized in the memristor. When the heterogeneous stimuli are applied coincidentally, sensitization pulse could be identified by the exceptional response current. The results show that the natural selection rules could be simulated by the current single memristor. A possible mechanism based on the trapping states and adsorption of oxygen at the interface of Au/ZnO is proposed. The implementation of nonassociative learning in a single memristor device paves the way for building neuromorphic systems by simple electronic devices.