Self-Powered Ultrabroadband Photodetector Monolithically Integrated on a PMN–PT Ferroelectric Single Crystal

Abstract

Photodetectors capable of detecting two or more bands simultaneously with a single system have attracted extensive attentions because of their critical applications in image sensing, communication, and so on. Here, we demonstrate a self-powered ultrabroadband photodetector monolithically integrated on a 0.72Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 –0.28PbTiO 3 (PMN–28PT) single crystal. By combining the optothermal and pyroelectric effect, the multifunctional PMN–28PT single crystal can response to a wide wavelength range from UV to terahertz (THz). At room temperature, the photodetector could generate a pyroelectric current under the intermittent illumination of incident light in absence of external bias. A systematic study of the photoresponse was investigated. The pyroelectric current shows an almost linear relationship to illumination intensity. Benefiting from the excellent pyroelectric property of PMN–28PT single crystal and the optimized device architecture, the device exhibited a dramatic improvement in operation frequency up to 3 kHz without any obvious degradation in sensitivity. Such a self-powered photodetector with ultrabroadband response may open a window for the novel application of ferroelectric materials in optoelectronics.