High Responsivity Circular Polarized Light Detectors based on Quasi Two-Dimensional Chiral Perovskite Films

ACS Nano. 2022 Feb 22;16(2):2682-2689. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.1c09521. Epub 2022 Feb 2.

Abstract

Circularly polarized light (CPL) has considerable technological potential, from quantum computing to bioimaging. To maximize the opportunity, high performance photodetectors that can directly distinguish left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized light are needed. Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites containing chiral organic ligands are an emerging candidate for the active material in CPL photodetecting devices, but current studies suggest there to be a trade-off between the ability to differentially absorb CPL and photocurrent responsivity in chiral perovskites devices. Here, we report a CPL detector based on quasi two-dimensional (quasi-2D) chiral perovskite films. We find it is possible to generate materials where the circular dichroism (CD) is comparable in both 2D and quasi-2D films, while the responsivity of the photodetector improves for the latter. Given this, we are able to showcase a CPL photodetector that exhibits both a high dissymmetry factor of 0.15 and a high responsivity of 15.7 A W-1. We believe our data further advocates the potential of chiral perovskites in CPL-dependent photonic technologies.

Keywords: chiral perovskite; circular dichroism; circularly polarized light; photodetectors; quasi-2D perovskites.