Ultrafast Ultraviolet Optoelectronic Logic Gate Devices with Ultralow Energy Consumption

Ultraviolet optoelectronic logic gates (OELGs) are becoming the core components of next-generation logic circuits with applications for precise detection, image recognition, and brain-inspired computing. However, their practical application is limited by high energy consumption and slow response. Here, we develop a CoAl₂O₄/4H-SiC heterojunction logic platform by utilizing both vertical and lateral photovoltaic effects and achieve multiple OELGs operating in the ultraviolet range and exhibiting ultralow energy consumption and ultrafast and stable operation. Explicitly, a single device achieves switching among XNOR, NOR, AND, and XOR operations under 51.7 nW/cm² of 266 nm laser illumination simply by adjusting the laser position, with a response time of 0.39 μs. The resultant OELGs exhibit solar-blind and high radiation resistance characteristics and maintain 73% performance at 433 K. Compared to traditional CMOS logic gates, this design reduces transistor count by up to 91.7%, offering a highly integrated and energy-efficient route for large-scale data processing.