High performance self-powered photodetector based on ferroelectric (001)-oriented Bi0.9La0.1FeO3 thin film

•Orientation of Bi0.9La0.1FeO3 (BFLO) were controlled by anneal temperature.•(001)-oriented of BLFO (BLFO(001)) has higher photovoltaic performances.•BLFO(001) has obvious domain structure which contributing to stronger polarization.•BLFO(001) exhibits excellent self-powered photodetection properties. Self-powered photodetectors based on ferroelectric photovoltaic materials have attracted a lot of attentions in advanced optoelectronic systems. Because of the opposition between ferroelectric polarization and bandgap, however, low photocurrent output is a serious drawback for their photodetection performances. Here, excellent photodetection properties are achieved in a Bi0.9La0.1FeO3 (BLFO(001)) ferroelectric thin film with (001)-orientation growth. Its responsivity and detectivity can reach respectively 3.95 mA/W and 5.058 × 109 Jones under 100 mW/cm2, which are almost 5 and 3 times than those of the Bi0.9La0.1FeO3 (BLFOro) thin film with random orientation. It is suggested that the BLFO(001) thin film with a strong domain structure possesses high polarization, which enhances depolarization field and decreases build-in field (Ebi) at Au/BLFO interface, generating a large driving force to separate photogenerated carriers. This work opens up a promising route to the development of high-performance ferroelectric photodetectors.