Reconfigurable and nonvolatile photo-pyroelectricity in a ceramic-like biaxial molecular ferroelectric via polarization engineering

Photo-pyroelectric effect provides a promising avenue to enhance optoelectronic device performance, in which reconfigurable and nonvolatile characteristics enable newly conceptual photoelectric memories. However, achieving reconfigurable and nonvolatile photo-pyroelectricity in molecule-based systems remains highly challenging because of the deterioration of pyroelectricity and fatigue resistance. Herein, we modulate the photo-pyroelectricity of a ceramic-like molecular ferroelectric, ( N -methylcyclohexylammonium) 2 PbCl 4 ( 1 ), showing biaxial ferroelectricity (Aizu notation: 4/ mmmFmm 2). The photo-pyroelectric current is enhanced from approximately 0.5 to 75 picoampere through external polarization engineering, corresponding to an improvement of nearly two orders of magnitude. Strikingly, positive-to-negative switching of the current direction verifies reconfigurable and nonvolatile merits. Under electric fields, its photo-pyroelectric responses can be deliberately paused and reactivated, giving newly conceptual optically readable memory “1/0” states. These reconfigured multistates exhibit exceptional nonvolatile retention exceeding 63 hours with anti-fatigue performance. As an innovative work, our study sheds light on exploration of ferroelectrics in memory storage and neuromorphic vision applications.