Ultrafast Monolayer In/Gr-WS₂-Gr Hybrid Photodetectors with High Gain

One of the primary limitations of previously reported two-dimensional (2D) photodetectors is a low frequency response (≪ 1 Hz) for sensitive devices with gain. Yet, little efforts have been devoted to improve the temporal response of photodetectors while maintaining high gain and responsivity. Here, we demonstrate a gain of 6.3 × 103 electrons per photon and a responsivity of 2.6 × 103 A/W while simultaneously exhibiting an ultrafast response time of 40–65 μs in a hybrid photodetector that consists of graphene-WS2-graphene junctions covered with indium (In) adatoms atop. The resultant responsivity is 6 orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional photodetectors comprising solely of a Au-WS2-Au junction. The photogain is provided mainly by the adsorbed In adatoms, from which photogenerated electrons can be transferred to the WS2 channel, while holes remain trapped in In adatoms, leading to a photogating effect as electrons are recirculating during the residence of holes in In adatoms. At a gate voltage near the Dirac point of graphene, a detectivity of D* = 2.2 × 1012 Jones and an ON/OFF ratio of 104 are achieved. The enhanced performance of the device can be attributed partly to the transparent graphene/WS2 contact and partly to the strong capacitive coupling of the In adatoms with the WS2 channel, which enables ultrafast carrier dynamics.