High-performance infrared photodetectors for remote sensing and intelligent recognition

Weida Hu

State Key Laboratory of Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Infrared photodetectors based on traditional thin-film semiconductors such as InGaAs, InSb, HgCdTe, and QWIP as well as novel type-II superlattice exhibit highly sensitive detection capability. However, with an unescapable low-temperature environment and discrete architectures among sensing, memory and computing, the whole system becomes extremely expensive and bulky. Over the last decade, two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained tremendous momentum owing to their fascinating electrical and optical properties. Thanks to the suppression of dark current and reconfigurable multi-state realization controlled by localized field, the longstanding stumbling stones of bulky and discrete architecture can be thus potentially circumvented. Meanwhile, the ultra-thin nature and stretchable physical properties ensure unprecedented freedom in bio-inspired flexible optical devices with lightweight and deformability. Not only in terms of functionality but also in terms of behaviour and structure to achieve the intelligent requirements such as retina-like devices.

Here we report the progress on novel uncooled infrared photodetectors and their smart chips based on 2D materials manipulated by localized fields. In pursuit of outstanding infrared detection performance and multifunctional possibilities, much effort is devoted in our group to introducing various localized fields, encompassing ferroelectric field, vertical field, p-n junction photovoltaic field and so forth. Our study opens a new avenue for controllable fabrications of localized fields in 2D optoelectronic devices and smart chips, which is a prominent challenge in 2D material research.

References

[1] Weida Hu* et al. 2D materials-based homogeneous transistor-memory architecture for neuromorphic hardware. Science 2021, 373, 1353.

[2] Weida Hu*, et al. On-chip optoelectronic logic gates operating in the telecom band. Nature Photonics 2024, 18, 60-67.

[3] Weida Hu*, et al. Reconfigurable, non-volatile neuromorphic photovoltaics, Nature Nanotechnology 2023, 18, 1303-1310.

[4] Weida Hu*, et al. All-in-one two-dimensional retinomorphic hardware device for motion detection and recognition. Nature Nanotechnology 2022, 17, 27.

[5] Weida Hu* et al. Unipolar barrier photodetectors based on van der Waals heterostructures. Nature Electronics 2021, 4, 357.

[6] Weida Hu* et al. On-chip optoelectronic logic gates operating in the telecom band, Nature Photonics, 18, 60-67 (2024).

Biography: Weida Hu received his B. S. and M. S. degree in Material of Science from Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China, in 2001 and 2004, respectively, and Ph.D. degree (with honors) in Microelectronics and Solid-State electronics from the Shanghai Institute of Technology Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2007. He is currently the head of State Key Laboratory of Infrared Physics, and a full professor (Principal investigator) on fabrication and characterization of infrared photodetectors/photodiodes/phototransistors and their smart chips in Shanghai Institute of Technology Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has authored or coauthored more than 200 technical journal papers and conference presentations, including Science, Nature Photonics, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Electronics, with the total citations of 22800 and h-index of 83 (Google scholar). He has been invited to contribute News & Views articles to Nature Materials and Nature Electronics, and Invited Review for Nature Communications.  The papers he published have been selected as one of the "China's Top Ten Optics Advances" three times, as one of the "China's Top Ten Semiconductor Research Advances" twice, and once as one of the "Top Ten Advances" by the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He received the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in 2017, China Youth Science and Technology Award in 2019, National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars in 2013, and National Program for Support of Top-notch Young Professionals in 2015. He received Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate) since 2022 and Highly Cited Chinese Researcher (Scopus) since 2020. He is selected as the Royal Society-Newton Advanced Fellowship in 2017. He is also serving as the Editorial Advisory Board Member of Small, the Associate Editor of Infrared Physics & Technology, the Executive Editor of Optical and Quantum Electronics, the chair of IEEE Shanghai Section NTC Chapter, the Distinguished Lecturers of IEEE Nanotechnology Council, the Executive Chair of Earth & Space: from Infrared to Terahertz International Conference (ESIT).