Recent Advances in Emerging Polarization‐Sensitive Materials: From Linear/Circular Polarization Detection to Neuromorphic Device Applications

Abstract Polarization is an important property of light that provides some additional information about the light such as polarizability and phase. With the rise of polarized photodetectors, the detection of polarized light may bring a new way to better understand polarized light information. Recent works have shown that polarization detectors have demonstrated excellent potential in the field of neuromorphology, which is of great significance for the further development of artificial intelligence. This review comprehensively summarizes the present research status of polarized detectors, including linearly polarized detectors (LPPDs) and circularly polarized detectors (CPPDs). In order to better assess the current state of polarized detectors in the field of detecting linearly/circularly polarized light, the operating principles and performance parameters of polarized detectors are presented. Next, the universal semiconductors used for LPPDs and CPPDs are systematically classified and summarized. Based on this, the applications of polarized detectors in the fields of artificial intelligence, polarization imaging, and digital signal processing are then reviewed. Finally, the current challenging opportunities are discussed, followed by an overview of future prospects for this promising field.