Ultra-sensitive tandem colloidal quantum-dot photodetectors

Abstract

The solution-processed PbSe colloidal quantum-dot (CQD) infrared photodetector with tandem architecture is proposed to address the high dark current issue. The electrical transport mechanism in tandem has been fundamentally changed in which the recombination of carriers at an intermediate layer becomes dominant rather than carriers hopping between nearest neighbors in CQD materials. As a result, the tandem photodetector exhibits ultra-high detectivities of 4.7 × 10¹³ Jones and 8.1 × 10¹³ Jones under 34 μW cm⁻² illumination at 1100 nm, at 275 K and 100 K, respectively.