研制具有生物神经元信息功能的柔性电子器件对于发展智能穿戴技术具有重要意义。传统阈值型忆阻器可模仿神经元信息整合功能, 但因缺乏本征柔韧性, 难以满足应用需求。本工作制备了一种基于本征可拉伸阈值型忆阻器的柔性人工神经元, 它由银纳米线-聚氨酯复合介质薄膜和液态金属电极构成。在外加电压下, 器件呈现良好的阈值电阻转变特性, 这归因于银纳米线间形成非连续银导电细丝的动态通断。该器件可模仿生物神经元的信息整合-发放及脉冲强度和脉冲间隔调制的尖峰放电功能。在20%拉伸应变下, 器件工作参数基本保持稳定, 性能未发生明显退化。本工作为发展可拉伸柔性人工神经元及下一代智能穿戴设备提供重要材料和技术参考。

Space-division multiplexing (SDM) has attracted significant attention in recent years because larger transmission capacity is enabled by more degrees of freedom (DOFs) in few-mode fibers (FMFs) compared with single-mode fibers (SMFs). To transmit independent information on spatial modes without or with minor digital signal processing (DSP), weakly-coupled FMFs are preferred in various applications. Several cases with different use of spatial DOFs in weakly-coupled FMFs are demonstrated in this work, including single-mode or mode-group-multiplexed transmission, and spatial DOFs combined with time or frequency DOF to improve the system performance.

We propose a mode demultiplexing hybrid (MDH) that integrates mode demultiplexing, local oscillator power splitting, and optical 90-deg mixing using multi-plane light conversion (MPLC). We demonstrate the realization of a three-mode MDH using four phase plates, one more than what is required for an MPLC-based mode demultiplexer, via numerical simulations. The performance of the three-mode MDH is comparable to that of commercial single-mode 90-deg hybrids. This multiple-functionality device enables simplification of the coherent optical front end of mode-division multiplexing receivers.