Ultrasensitive Near-Infrared Polarization Photodetectors with Violet Phosphorus/InSe van der Waals Heterostructures

Near-infrared (NIR) polarization photodetectors with two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors and their van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have presented great impact for the development of a wide range of technologies, such as in the optoelectronics and communication fields. Nevertheless, the lack of a photogenerated charge carrier at the device’s interface leads to a poor charge carrier collection efficiency and a low linear dichroism ratio, hindering the achievement of high-performance optoelectronic devices with multifunctionalities. Herein, we present a type-II violet phosphorus (VP)/InSe vdW heterostructure that is predicted via density functional theory calculation and confirmed by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Benefiting from the type-II band alignment, the VP/InSe vdW heterostructure-based photodetector achieves excellent photodetection performance such as a responsivity (R) of 182.8 A/W, a detectivity (D*) of 7.86 × 10¹² Jones, and an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 11,939% under a 1064 nm photon excitation. Furthermore, the photodetection performance can be enhanced by manipulating the device geometry by inserting a few layers of graphene between the VP and InSe (VP/Gr/InSe). Remarkably, the VP/Gr/InSe vdW heterostructure shows a competitive polarization sensitivity of 2.59 at 1064 nm and can be integrated as an image sensor. This work demonstrates that VP/InSe and VP/Gr/InSe vdW heterostructures will be effective for promising integrated NIR optoelectronics.