Boosting the Performance of Flexible Perovskite Photodetectors Using Hierarchical Plasmonic Nanostructures

Plasmonic nanostructures are known to significantly enhance photodetector performance by amplifying light absorption, thereby addressing the inherent limitations of the photoactive layer. In this study, we have developed hierarchical plasmonic nanopatterns to achieve high-performance flexible perovskite photodetectors. The designed hierarchical nanostructures, featuring nanoposts on cross-nanograting patterns, demonstrate a markedly improved light-trapping effect compared to simpler unidirectional nanograting structures. This advanced design enhances the interaction between incident light and the perovskite material, leading to superior photon conversion efficiency.
The perovskite photodetectors incorporating these hierarchical patterns exhibit exceptional performance, with a photoresponsivity of 580 mA W^-1 and a specific detectivity of 3.2 × 10¹² Jones, representing improvements of 420% and 990%, respectively, compared to devices without plasmonic nanostructures. These results underscore the significant impact of hierarchical plasmonic designs in boosting optoelectronic device performance.
Furthermore, we have developed a flexible 10 × 10 photodetector array that enables precise light signal mapping with excellent mechanical and operational stability. The device maintains consistent performance even under a bending radius as small as 8 mm and after over 1000 bending cycles, making it highly suitable for flexible and wearable electronic applications.
Detailed analyses using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations and photoluminescence mapping confirm the enhanced light-trapping effects of the hierarchical plasmonic patterns within the perovskite layers. This work presents an effective strategy for achieving high-performance perovskite-based optoelectronic devices and offers valuable insights into the role of hierarchical plasmonic structures in improving light management in nanostructured materials. These findings pave the way for the development of next-generation flexible photodetectors and other advanced optoelectronic technologies.