Carrier Recirculation Induced High-Gain Photodetector Based on van der Waals Heterojunction

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted great attention in the field of photodetection due to their excellent electronic and optoelectronic properties. However, the weak optical absorption caused by atomically thin layers and the short lifetime of photocarriers limit their optoelectronic performance, especially for weak light detection. In this work, we design a high-gain photodetector induced by carrier recirculation based on a vertical InSe/GaSe heterojunction. In this architecture, the photogenerated holes are trapped in GaSe due to the built-in electric field, suppressing the recombination rate of photocarriers, so the electrons can recirculate for multiple times in the InSe channel following the generation of a single electron-hole pair, resulting a high photoconductive gain (107). The responsivity and detectivity of the InSe/GaSe heterojunction can reach 1037 A/W and 8.6 x 1013 Jones, which are 1 order of magnitude higher than those of individual InSe. More importantly, the InSe/GaSe heterojunction can respond to weaker light (1 mu W/cm2) compared to individual InSe (10 mu W/cm2). Utilizing GaSe as the channel and InSe as the electrons trapped layer, the same experimental phenomenon is achieved. This work can provide an approach for designing a highly sensitive device utilizing a 2D van der Waals heterojunction, and it also possesses wide applicability for other materials.

Automated summary

This study presents a high-gain photodetector based on a vertical InSe/GaSe heterojunction. By inducing carrier recirculation, the device achieves improved optoelectronic performance and sensitivity. The heterojunction also exhibits the ability to detect weaker light, highlighting its potential for various applications.