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(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.28PbTiO3 (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.