Functional Field-Effect Engineering in Photodetectors

Photodetectors are key optoelectronic components for real-time light sensing in environmental monitoring, autonomous navigation, and smart healthcare. These systems demand high responsivity, fast response, low noise, and low power consumption across ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths. Conventional devices based on bulk semiconductors face intrinsic limits such as fixed bandgaps, low carrier mobility, high dark current, and poor adaptability, restricting broadband detection and dynamic control. Recent advances target multifunctional, adaptive photodetectors through material innovation and multi-field modulation. Integrating semiconducting nanomaterials with mechanical, electric, or thermal fields via piezo-, ferroelectric-, and pyro-phototronic effects enables active tuning of carrier generation, separation, and transport, enhancing sensitivity and spectral response. Meanwhile, nanowires, nanosheets, and van der Waals heterostructures provide tunable electronic-optical properties, high surface-to-volume ratios, and engineered interfaces, supporting highly responsive, broadband, and environment-adaptive intelligent photodetector systems.