Robust Superlinear Photoresponse Based on p‐Te/n‐MoS2 Van Der Waals Heterojunction

Abstract Photodetectors exhibiting robust superlinear photoresponse characteristics can overcome the limitations of traditional devices whose figures‐of‐merits decrease with increasing light irradiance at high levels, thereby providing a significant breakthrough for the development of intelligent optical devices with low power consumption and high efficiency. Herein, a p‐Te/n‐MoS 2 van der Waals heterojunction photodetector is experimentally achieved that exhibits self‐powering operation, fast response speed, broadband, and polarization‐sensitive photodetection. When exposed to 570 nm illumination at 0 V bias, the detector demonstrates excellent performance, including a responsivity of 74 mA W −1 , a specific detectivity of 4.1 × 10 10 Jones, fast rising/falling times of 35/34 µs and a high photocurrent anisotropy ratio of 1.85. The device maintains competitive photodetection properties upon intense lights in comparison with its competitors, which is attributed to its superlinear photoresponse. Specifically, its superlinear photoresponse value reaches up to 2.0 at 254 nm, while it also showcases outstanding superlinear values in the broadband response regions. Associated with theoretical analysis, the superlinear photoresponse is primarily attributed to the photogating layer mechanism of 1D Te single crystals and their excellent hole conduction capability. This study paves the way for creating high‐performance photodetectors with potential applications in high‐resolution imaging, spectral analysis, neuromorphic networks, and others.