Erbium-Doped WS2 with Down- and Up-Conversion Photoluminescence Integrated on Silicon for Heterojunction Infrared Photodetection

The integration of 2D nanomaterials with silicon is expected to enrich the applications of 2D functional nanomaterials and pave the way for next-generation, nanoscale optoelectronics with enhanced performances. Herein, a strategy for rare earth element doping is utilized for the synthesis of 2D WS2:Er nanosheets to achieve up-conversion and down-conversion emissions ranging from visible to near-infrared regions. Moreover, the potential integration of the synthesized 2D nanosheets in silicon platforms is demonstrated by the realization of an infrared photodetector based on a WS2:Er/Si heterojunction. These devices operate at room temperature and show a high photoresponsivity of approximate to 39.8 mA W-1 (at 980 nm) and a detectivity of 2.79 x 10(10) cm Hz(1/2) W-1. Moreover, the dark current and noise power density are suppressed effectively by van der Waals-assisted p-n heterojunction. This work fundamentally contributes to establishing infrared detection by rare element doping of 2D materials in heterojunctions with Si, at the forefront of infrared 2DMs-based photonics.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the successful synthesis of 2D WS2:Er nanosheets through rare earth element doping, which exhibit up-conversion and down-conversion emissions ranging from visible to near-infrared regions. The potential integration of these nanosheets in silicon platforms is also demonstrated by the realization of an infrared photodetector based on a WS2:Er/Si heterojunction.