Plasmon Excited Ultrahot Carriers and Negative Differential Photoresponse in a Vertical Graphene van der Waals Heterostructure

Hybrid mode for absorption enhancement in the Ga2O3 nanocavity photodetector with grating electrodes

Gallium oxide (G a 2 O 3) photodetectors have drawn increased interest for their widespread applications ranging from military to civil. Due to the inherent oxygen vacancy defects, they seriously suffer from trade-offs that make them incompetent for high-responsivity, quick-response detection. Herein, a G a 2 O 3 nanocavity photodetector assisted with grating electrodes is designed to break the constraint. The proposed structure supports both the plasmonic mode and the Fabry-Perot (F-P) mode. Numerical calculations show that the absorption of 99.8% is realized for ultra-thin G a 2 O 3 (30 nm), corresponding to a responsivity of 12.35 A/W. Benefiting from optical mechanisms, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) reaches 6040%, which is 466 times higher than that of bare G a 2 O 3 film. Furthermore, the proposed photodetector achieves a polarization-dependent dichroism ratio of 9.1, enabling polarization photodetection. The grating electrodes also effectively reduce the transit time of the photo-generated carriers. Our work provides a sophisticated platform for developing high-performance G a 2 O 3 photodetectors with the advantages of simplified fabrication processes and multidimensional detection.

van der Waals Contact for Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as highly promising candidates for next-generation electronics owing to their atomically thin structures and surfaces devoid of dangling bonds. However, establishing high-quality metal contacts with TMDs presents a critical challenge, primarily attributed to their ultrathin bodies and delicate lattices. These distinctive characteristics render them susceptible to physical damage and chemical reactions when conventional metallization approaches involving "high-energy" processes are implemented. To tackle this challenge, the concept of van der Waals (vdW) contacts has recently been proposed as a "low-energy" alternative. Within the vdW geometry, metal contacts can be physically laminated or gently deposited onto the 2D channel of TMDs, ensuring the formation of atomically clean and electronically sharp contact interfaces while preserving the inherent properties of the 2D TMDs. Consequently, a considerable number of vdW contact devices have been extensively investigated, revealing unprecedented transport physics or exceptional device performance that was previously unachievable. This review presents recent advancements in vdW contacts for TMD transistors, discussing the merits, limitations, and prospects associated with each device geometry. By doing so, our purpose is to offer a comprehensive understanding of the current research landscape and provide insights into future directions within this rapidly evolving field.

A Bifunctional Optoelectronic Device for Photodetection and Photoluminescence Switching Based on Graphene/ZnTe/Graphene van der Waals Heterostructures

Controlling the dynamic processes, such as generation, separation, transport, and recombination, of photoexcited carriers in a semiconductor is foundational in the design of various devices for optoelectronic applications. One may imagine that if different processes can be manipulated in one single device and thus generate useful signals, a multifunctional device can be realized, and the toolbox for integrated optoelectronics will be expanded. Here, we revealed that in a graphene/ZnTe/graphene van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure, the carriers can be generated by illumination from visible to infrared frequencies, and thus, the detected spectrum range extends to the communication band, well beyond the band gap of ZnTe (2.26 eV). More importantly, we are able to control the competition between separation and recombination of the photoexcited carriers by an electric bias along the thickness-defined channel of the ZnTe flake: as the bias increases, the photodetecting performance, e.g. response speed and photocurrent, are improved due to the efficient separation of carriers; synchronously, the photoluminescence (PL) intensity decreases and even switches off due to the suppressed recombination process. The ZnTe-based vdW heterostructure device thus integrates both photodetection and PL switching functions by manipulating the generation, separation, transport, and recombination of carriers, which may inspire the design of the next generation of miniaturized optoelectronic devices based on the vdW heterostructures made by various thin flakes.

Probing the Inelastic Electron Tunneling via the Photocurrent in a Vertical Graphene van der Waals Heterostructure

Inelastic electron tunneling (IET), accompanied by energy transfer between the tunneling charge carriers and other elementary excitations, is widely used to investigate the collective modes and quasiparticles in solid-state materials. In general, the inelastic contribution to the tunneling current is small compared to the elastic part and is therefore only prominent in the second derivative of the tunneling current with respect to the bias voltage. Here we demonstrate a direct observation of the IET by measuring the photoresponse in a graphene-based vertical tunnel junction device. Characteristic peaks/valleys are observed in the bias-voltage-dependent tunneling photocurrent at low temperatures, which barely shift with the gate voltage applied to graphene and diminish gradually as the temperature increases. By comparing with the second-order differential conductance spectra, we establish that these features are associated with the phonon-assisted IET. A simple model based on the photoexcited hot-carrier tunneling in graphene qualitatively explains the response. Our study points to a promising means of probing the low-energy elementary excitations utilizing the graphene-based van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures.

Deciphering Adverse Detrapped Hole Transfer in Hot-Electron Photoelectric Conversion at Infrared Wavelengths

Hot-carrier devices are promising alternatives for enabling path breaking photoelectric conversion. However, existing hot-carrier devices suffer from low efficiencies, particularly in the infrared region, and ambiguous physical mechanisms. In this work, the competitive interfacial transfer mechanisms of detrapped holes and hot electrons in hot-carrier devices are discovered. Through photocurrent polarity research and optical-pump-THz-probe (OPTP) spectroscopy, it is verified that detrapped hole transfer (DHT) and hot-electron transfer (HET) dominate the low- and high-density excitation responses, respectively. The photocurrent ratio assigned to DHT and HET increases from 6.6% to over 1133.3% as the illumination intensity decreases. DHT induces severe degeneration of the external quantum efficiency (EQE), especially at low illumination intensities. The EQE of a hot-electron device can theoretically increase by over two orders of magnitude at 10 mW cm^-2 through DHT elimination. The OPTP results show that competitive transfer arises from the carrier oscillation type and carrier-density-related Coulomb screening. The screening intensity determines the excitation weight and hot-electron cooling scenes and thereby the transfer dynamics.

Negative Differential Photoconductance as a Signature of Nonradiative Energy Transfer in van der Waals Heterojunction

The physical proximity of layered materials in their van der Waals heterostructures (vdWhs) aids interfacial phenomena such as charge transfer (CT) and energy transfer (ET). Besides providing fundamental insights, CT and ET also offer routes to engineer optoelectronic properties of vdWhs. For example, harnessing ET in vdWhs can help to overcome the limitations of optical absorption imposed by the ultra-thin nature of layered materials and thus provide an opportunity for in situ enhancement of quantum efficiency for light-harvesting and sensing applications. While several spectroscopic studies on vdWhs probed the dynamics of CT and ET, the possible contribution of ET in the photocurrent generation remains largely unexplored. In this work, we investigate the role of nonradiative energy transfer (NRET) in the photocurrent through a vertical vdWh of SnSe₂/MoS₂/TaSe₂. We observe an unusual negative differential photoconductance (NDPC) arising from the existence of NRET across the SnSe₂/MoS₂ junction. Modulation of the NRET-driven NDPC characteristics with optical power results in a striking transition of the photocurrent's power law from a sublinear to a superlinear regime. Our observations reveal the nontrivial influence of ET on the photoresponse of vdWhs, which offer insights to harness ET in synergy with CT for vdWh based next-generation optoelectronics.

Silicon/2D-material photodetectors: from near-infrared to mid-infrared

Two-dimensional materials (2DMs) have been used widely in constructing photodetectors (PDs) because of their advantages in flexible integration and ultrabroad operation wavelength range. Specifically, 2DM PDs on silicon have attracted much attention because silicon microelectronics and silicon photonics have been developed successfully for many applications. 2DM PDs meet the imperious demand of silicon photonics on low-cost, high-performance, and broadband photodetection. In this work, a review is given for the recent progresses of Si/2DM PDs working in the wavelength band from near-infrared to mid-infrared, which are attractive for many applications. The operation mechanisms and the device configurations are summarized in the first part. The waveguide-integrated PDs and the surface-illuminated PDs are then reviewed in details, respectively. The discussion and outlook for 2DM PDs on silicon are finally given.

Abnormal Electron Emission in a Vertical Graphene/Hexagonal Boron Nitride van der Waals Heterostructure Driven by a Hot Hole-Induced Auger Process

Understanding the scattering process of field injection hot carriers is important for modulating their behaviors, which is the key for improving the efficiency of charge transfer and energy conversion in hot carrier devices. In this work, a significant electron thermalization induced by Auger scattering between a field injection hot hole and a native cold electron has been observed in a vertical single layer graphene/hexagonal boron nitride/few layer graphene (Gr/hBN/FLG) device by measuring the vacuum electron emission characteristics. For the first time, it is found that vacuum electron emission can be measured under both directions of bias within the device. Furthermore, electrons can be emitted even when the applied bias energy is smaller than the work function of the Gr cathode. Further analysis of the emission electron kinetic energy indicates that the low turn-on bias results from the emission of energetic electrons that are ∼3 eV higher than the Fermi level. A semiquantitative model based on hot hole-induced Auger electron emission is established to reproduce the results. All of these findings not only expand our understanding of the hot carrier scattering process in graphene but also provide insights into the applications of hot carrier devices.

Monolithic Full-Stokes Near-Infrared Polarimetry with Chiral Plasmonic Metasurface Integrated Graphene-Silicon Photodetector

The ability to detect the full-Stokes polarization of light is vital for a variety of applications that often require complex and bulky optical systems. Here, we report an on-chip polarimeter comprising four metasurface-integrated graphene-silicon photodetectors. The geometric chirality and anisotropy of the metasurfaces result in circular and linear polarization-resolved photoresponses, from which the full-Stokes parameters, including the intensity, orientation, and ellipticity of arbitrarily polarized incident infrared light (1550 nm), can be obtained. The design presents an ultracompact architecture while excluding the standard bulky optical components and structural redundancy. Computational extraction of full-Stokes parameters from mutual information among four detectors eliminates the need for a large absorption contrast between different polarization states. Our monolithic plasmonic metasurface integrated polarimeter is ideal for a variety of polarization-based applications including biological sensing, quantum information processing, and polarization photography.

Versatile Triboiontronic Transistor via Proton Conductor

Iontronics are effective in modulating electrical properties through the electric double layers (EDLs) assisted with ionic migration/arrangement, which are highly promising for unconventional electronics, ionic sensory devices, and flexible interactive interface. Proton conductors with the smallest and most abundant protons (H⁺) can realize a faster migration/polarization under electric field to form the EDL with higher capacitance. Here, a versatile triboiontronic MoS₂ transistor via proton conductor by sophisticated combination of triboelectric modulation and protons migration has been demonstrated. This device utilizes triboelectric potential originated from mechanical displacement to modulate the electrical properties of transistors via protons migration/accumulation. It shows superior electrical properties, including high current on/off ratio over 10⁶, low cutoff current (∼0.04 pA), and steep switching properties (89 μm/dec). Pioneering noise tests are conducted to the tribotronic devices to exclude the possible noise interference introduced by mechanical displacement. The versatile triboiontronic MoS₂ transistor via proton conductor has been utilized for mechanical behavior derived logic devices and an artificial sensory neuron system. This work represents the reliable and effective triboelectric potential modulation on electronic transportation through protonic dielectrics, which is highly desired for theoretical study of tribotronic gating, active mechanosensation, self-powered electronic skin, artificial intelligence, etc.

Plasmonically enabled two-dimensional material-based optoelectronic devices

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, black phosphorus and hexagonal boron nitride, have been intensively investigated as building blocks for optoelectronic devices in the past few years. Very recently, significant efforts have been devoted to the improvement of the optoelectronic performances of 2D materials, which are restricted by their intrinsically low light absorption due to the ultrathin thickness. Making use of the plasmonic effects of metal nanostructures and intrinsic plasmon excitation in graphene has been shown to be one of the promising strategies. In this minireview, recent progress in 2D material-based optoelectronics enabled by the plasmonic effects is highlighted. A perspective on more possibilities in plasmon-assisted 2D material-based optoelectronic applications will also be provided.