controllability of electronic carrier density and the freedom from structural disorders.
In addition, nanoionic devices enable a high level of integration and a low power
consumption owing to their simple structure and low-voltage operation. These
advantages can be exploited for deriving various useful functions. Furthermore,
the high compatibility of nanoionic devices with peripheral devices because of
their all-solid-state structure would make them truly practical.
Compared with electronic devices, nanoionic devices have had a quite short
history since the advent of the first atomic switch [1, 2], although conventional
solid state ionic devices based on bulk have a comparably much longer history
[31, 32]. As nanoionic devices are still at the dawn of their development, there is
ample room to improve their characteristics (e.g., response time, retention time, and
repeatability). Above all, the greatest challenge is high density carrier doping using
all-solid-state EDLT for high temperature superconductivity. Here, one needs better
understanding of the local ion behavior based on not only conventional electrochemistry but also operando approaches using transmission electron microscope
(TEM) or X-ray spectroscopy in order to realize the full potential of the solid/solid
interface [56, 57].
As clearly seen in the discovery of the atomic switch, which was born at the cross
point of solid state ionics and scanning tunnel microscopy, which was a state-of-art
approach in surface science at the time, the next horizon of nanoionic devices should
lie also in unconventional meetings with other emerging fields. An atomic-switchbased decision maker (ASDM) is a good example of such a meeting with nanoionic
devices and physics-based analog computing that may lead to a sophisticated means
of decision making [58].
The solid/solid interface is one of the few great frontiers remaining in modern
materials science and solid state physics, which have been intensively studied
already. Physical property tuning and enhancement achieved by controlling ion
transport in nanoscale is an exciting field to explore an unprecedented range of
physical properties (e.g., room-temperature superconductivity) and functions (e.g.,
high-performance universal memories and artificial brains).
Acknowledgments The authors thank Dr. Tohru Tsuruoka, Dr. Satoshi Moriyama and Dr. Minoru
Osada of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials
Science, and Dr. Tohru Higuchi of Tokyo University of Science for their assistance with PL,
superconductivity, and magnetic property measurements.
References
1. Terabe, K., Hasegawa, T., Nakayama, T., Aono, M.: RIKEN Rev. 37, 7 (2001)
2. Terabe, K., Hasegawa, T., Nakayama, T., Aono, M.: Nature. 433, 47 (2005)
3. Terabe, K., Hasegawa, T., Liang, C., Aono, M.: Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 8, 536 (2007)
4. Sakamoto, T., Lister, K., Banno, N., Hasegawa, T., Terabe, K., Aono, M.: Appl. Phys. Lett. 91,
092110 (2007)
172
T. Tsuchiya et al.
In addition, nanoionic devices enable a high level of integration and a low power
consumption owing to their simple structure and low-voltage operation. These
advantages can be exploited for deriving various useful functions. Furthermore,
the high compatibility of nanoionic devices with peripheral devices because of
their all-solid-state structure would make them truly practical.
Compared with electronic devices, nanoionic devices have had a quite short
history since the advent of the first atomic switch [1, 2], although conventional
solid state ionic devices based on bulk have a comparably much longer history
[31, 32]. As nanoionic devices are still at the dawn of their development, there is
ample room to improve their characteristics (e.g., response time, retention time, and
repeatability). Above all, the greatest challenge is high density carrier doping using
all-solid-state EDLT for high temperature superconductivity. Here, one needs better
understanding of the local ion behavior based on not only conventional electrochemistry but also operando approaches using transmission electron microscope
(TEM) or X-ray spectroscopy in order to realize the full potential of the solid/solid
interface [56, 57].
As clearly seen in the discovery of the atomic switch, which was born at the cross
point of solid state ionics and scanning tunnel microscopy, which was a state-of-art
approach in surface science at the time, the next horizon of nanoionic devices should
lie also in unconventional meetings with other emerging fields. An atomic-switchbased decision maker (ASDM) is a good example of such a meeting with nanoionic
devices and physics-based analog computing that may lead to a sophisticated means
of decision making [58].
The solid/solid interface is one of the few great frontiers remaining in modern
materials science and solid state physics, which have been intensively studied
already. Physical property tuning and enhancement achieved by controlling ion
transport in nanoscale is an exciting field to explore an unprecedented range of
physical properties (e.g., room-temperature superconductivity) and functions (e.g.,
high-performance universal memories and artificial brains).
Acknowledgments The authors thank Dr. Tohru Tsuruoka, Dr. Satoshi Moriyama and Dr. Minoru
Osada of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials
Science, and Dr. Tohru Higuchi of Tokyo University of Science for their assistance with PL,
superconductivity, and magnetic property measurements.
References
1. Terabe, K., Hasegawa, T., Nakayama, T., Aono, M.: RIKEN Rev. 37, 7 (2001)
2. Terabe, K., Hasegawa, T., Nakayama, T., Aono, M.: Nature. 433, 47 (2005)
3. Terabe, K., Hasegawa, T., Liang, C., Aono, M.: Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 8, 536 (2007)
4. Sakamoto, T., Lister, K., Banno, N., Hasegawa, T., Terabe, K., Aono, M.: Appl. Phys. Lett. 91,
092110 (2007)
172
T. Tsuchiya et al.