Flexoelectric Thin-Film Photodetectors

The flexoelectric effect, which manifests itself as a strain-gradient-induced electrical polarization, has triggered great interest due to its ubiquitous existence in crystalline materials without the limitation of lattice symmetry. Here, we propose a flexoelectric photodetector based on a thin-film heterostructure. This prototypical device is demonstrated by epitaxial LaFeO3 thin films grown on LaAlO3 substrates. A giant strain gradient of the order of 10(6)/m is achieved in LaFeO3 thin films, giving rise to an obvious flexoelectric polarization and generating a significant photovoltaic effect in the LaFeO3-based heterostructures with nanosecond response under light illumination. This work not only demonstrates a novel self-powered photodetector different from the traditional interface-type structures, such as the p-n and Schottky junctions but also opens an avenue to design practical flexoelectric devices for nanoelectronics applications.

Automated summary

This study presents a flexoelectric photodetector based on a thin-film heterostructure, demonstrating a giant strain gradient in LaFeO3 thin films grown on LaAlO3 substrates, leading to significant flexoelectric polarization and photovoltaic effect with nanosecond response time. This novel self-powered photodetector offers an alternative to traditional interface-type structures and opens up avenues for designing practical flexoelectric devices for nanoelectronics applications.