Abstract
Fast-response optical sensing across the electromagnetic spectrum is an enabler of quantum systems, 3D machine vision and augmented reality, yet existing technologies are not optimized for infrared sensing. Trade-offs among characteristics such as speed, efficiency, noise, spectral detection range and cost motivate the research community to develop nanostructured sensing materials that provide operation from visible to infrared wavelengths with seamless integration. As efforts are made to advance the combined gain and bandwidth of devices, a clear understanding of physical mechanisms underlying the dynamics of charge carriers, with a particular focus on speed-limiting processes, is of high priority. In this Review, we provide an account of the photophysical attributes of active materials and their impact on optical sensor performance, focusing on the interplay between temporal and peak response to pulsed light of varying durations. We identify performance-limiting processes and directions for future progress in developing materials and device architectures that realize high-speed photodetection.
Key points
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The dark-current–speed–efficiency triangle, a principal performance measure for photodetectors, now places a higher emphasis on detection bandwidth, a key metric for a range of emerging applications.
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In pulsed detection, unlike continuous light detection, the peak response depends on the photodetector’s response time; a slower detector results in a reduced peak response.
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Response and recovery time represent distinct aspects of speed within the characteristics of a photodetector. They originate from the intricate relationship between photophysical properties, affecting the temporal dynamics of charge-carrier transport and collection.
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Transport and capacitance are the main limiting regimes for response time, mainly determined by the mobility of charge carriers and the dielectric constant of the active material.
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Improvement of recovery time requires a detailed investigation of the sources of charge trap states, characterized by their energy depth, distribution and total density.
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Acknowledgements
F.P.G.A. acknowledges support from CEX2019-000910-S (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), Fundació Cellex and Mir-Puig; from Generalitat de Catalunya through CERCA; and from the La Caixa Foundation (100010434, EU Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement 847648).
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Morteza Najarian, A., Vafaie, M., Chen, B. et al. Photophysical properties of materials for high-speed photodetection. Nat Rev Phys 6, 219–230 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-024-00699-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-024-00699-z
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