High-performance organic semiconductor near-infrared and shortwave-infrared photodetectors: a materials and device roadmap

Abstract

Organic semiconductors have emerged as versatile platforms for near-infrared (NIR, 650–900 nm) and short-wave infrared (SWIR, 900–1700 nm) photodetection, offering tunable absorption, mechanical flexibility, and low-temperature, solution-based processing. However, realizing truly high-performance organic NIR–SWIR photodetectors (OPDs) requires simultaneous optimization of multiple interdependent metrics, including narrow optical bandgaps for extended spectral coverage, low trap-state densities to suppress dark current, efficient exciton dissociation for high responsivity, and ultralow noise for exceptional detectivity, along with fast, stable responses under real-world operating conditions. In this performance-focused review, we consolidate recent advances in narrow-bandgap donor polymers and non-fullerene acceptors that enable absorption onsets beyond 900 nm and into the SWIR region, while highlighting morphological strategies optimizing exciton diffusion against charge percolation. We then dissect device-level innovations including graded energy alignments, self-assembled interfacial dipoles, plasmonic enhancements, and hybrid integrations with quantum dots and 2D materials, which elevate responsivity above 0.4 A W⁻¹ and detectivity toward 10¹³ Jones. Furthermore, we highlight emerging applications in wearable health monitoring, autonomous vision systems, and secure optical communications that exploit the unique conformability and tunability of organic semiconductors. Finally, we outline persistent challenges in stability, scalability, and dark-current suppression, proposing a roadmap for performance-driven material and architectural optimization, demonstrating how performance-driven optimization can unlock the full potential of large-area, conformal infrared sensing technologies.