Self‐Powered and High‐Performance Alternating Current Photodetectors to enhance Broadband Photodetection

Abstract

Self‐powered broadband photodetectors that are easy to fabricate and convenient to operate are highly desirable in numerous optoelectronic applications; however, achieving a fast response time with high sensitivity remains a daunting challenge to their widespread use. In this study, a self‐powered, high‐performance alternating current photodetector is fabricated by coating plasmonic Au nanoparticles (NPs) onto MoO3. The self‐powered photodetector shows high detectivity (≈4.6 × 1010 Jones) and a good responsivity of 3.8 µA W−1, due to the alternating current photovoltaic effect. The photodetector exhibits a rapid response with the rise and fall times of 35 and 48 ms, respectively, under self‐biased conditions. Conductive atomic force microscopy demonstrates nanoscale charge transport and current generation, suggesting the possibility of fabricating a sub‐nanometer (≈50 nm) sized photodetector. Results thus observed are attributed to the relative shift and realignment between quasi‐Fermi levels under non‐equilibrium conditions, caused by inhomogeneous charge carrier generation. The results presented in this study introduce a simple approach to enhance self‐powered broadband photodetection while enabling high‐performance for advanced optoelectronic applications in the future; these applications include smart security, optical communication, digital display, and sensing, amongst others.

Heat-Annealed Zinc Oxide on Flexible Carbon Nanotube Paper and Exposed to Gradient Light to Enhance Its Photoelectric Response

“…Thermionic Emission and Internal Photoemission: Depending on the materials and their work functions, these peaks may also result from thermionic emission or internal photoemission mechanisms. These processes are influenced by the photon energy striking the material and can, under specific conditions, cause a sudden increase in carrier mobility and density [27][28][29].…”

Heterostructures made from bone-like plasmonic Au nanoantennas and ZnO quantum dots for broadband photodetectors

“…34 Therefore, these high-energy electrons can overcome the Schottky barrier and be collected into the conduction band of the ZnO QDs. Finally, the EM field generated not only facilitates the separation of the electron–hole pairs in ZnO and in turn reduces their recombination rate, 6,52 but also reduces the energy loss of the high-energy electrons during their transport to the ZnO QDs film, resulting in more electrons being collected. 25 For the 532 nm light illumination, abundant hot electrons can be generated as a result of the decay of the plasmon of BLAuNA.…”

“…Broadband photodetectors have attracted a great deal of attention because of their widespread applications in various fields such as optical imaging, missile tracking, fire monitoring, deep space detection, and environmental monitoring. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Their rapid development has motivated the study of new materials and device physics, such as inorganic/organic semiconductor materials and trap-assisted charge-tunneling mechanisms. [7][8][9] ZnO is a common inorganic semiconductor and has attracted much attention for the construction of photodetectors because of its wide band gap (B3.37 eV), large exciton binding energy (B60 meV), and stable physical and chemical properties.…”

Self-Powered Photodetector Fabricated from a Single-Charge-Transfer Complex Nanowire Grown In Situ between Prefabricated Electrodes on an Si3N4 Membrane

“…of a PD. , To achieve impressive performance, most PDs require a sufficiently high constant external power. , These dramatic demands for unrestricted energy supply make the current energy framework of limited resources unprofitable. As a result, researchers are focusing more on electronic devices that can operate without any external bias, and self-powered optical detectors (SPODs) are one such kind of devices. , Here, we have reported an SPOD made from a single Cu:TCNQ nanowire. The Cu:TCNQ is a widely explored semiconducting material in the metal-organic charge transfer complex family. − It is mostly known for its electrical resistive state switching and optoelectronic transport properties.…”

“…As a result, researchers are focusing more on electronic devices that can operate without any external bias, and selfpowered optical detectors (SPODs) are one such kind of devices. 7,8 Here, we have reported an SPOD made from a single Cu:TCNQ nanowire. The Cu:TCNQ is a widely explored semiconducting material in the metal-organic charge transfer complex family.…”