Boosting carrier transport in MoS2/YMnO3 heterostructure for ultrasensitive broadband photodetection

Ferroelectric materials offer a transformative solution for developing high-responsivity photodetectors by leveraging their unique photovoltaic effect. However, the low output photocurrent that is associated with carrier separation efficiency is the main issue that restricts the applications of ferroelectric photodetectors. Here, constructing a MoS 2 /YMO/LSMO heterostructure, a high photocurrent density of 11.9 mA/cm 2 was achieved under standard solar illumination, representing an approximate 3.4-fold increase compared to the 3.50 mA/cm 2 observed in the YMO/LSMO structure. The significantly enhanced photocurrent output further improved the heterojunction’s photodetection performance, exhibiting a responsivity ( R ) of 0.72 A/W and a specific detectivity ( D * ) of 2.28 × 10 12 Jones. Furthermore, the device demonstrated excellent broad-spectrum detection capability, with a photoresponse range spanning from the ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared (NIR) spectral region. The microscopic mechanism underlying the performance enhancement originates from the built-in electric field at the MoS 2 /YMO interface strengthening the driving force for carrier separation, while MoS 2 acting as an electron transport layer significantly improves the transport efficiency of charge carriers. This work provides novel insights into developing high output photocurrent photodetectors.