Energy-efficient memory materials

The explosive growth of data in the modern digital era has placed unprecedented demands on information and communication technologies, driving up energy consumption and revealing critical limitations in conventional computing architectures. This Editorial introduces a Special Topic dedicated to the exploration of next-generation memory technologies aimed at addressing these challenges through energy-efficient, high-speed, and scalable computing solutions. Emphasizing the convergence of neuromorphic and in-memory computing paradigms, this collection highlights innovative materials and device architectures, including spintronic, ferroelectric, resistive switching, photonic, molecular, and two-dimensional systems, that enable new modes of data storage and processing. Featured contributions encompass advances in skyrmionics and spin-orbit torque magnetic random-access memories, advanced ferroelectric nitrides, antiferromagnetic topological systems, and bio-inspired optoelectronic synapses, among others. Together, these works illuminate a vibrant landscape of research at the intersection of condensed matter physics, materials science, and electrical engineering, offering critical insights into the design of sustainable, brain-like, and high-performance memory technologies for the era of artificial intelligence, edge computing, and green electronics.