Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator Bi2Te3/Organic Thin Film Heterojunction Photodetector with Fast and Wideband Response from 450 to 3500 Nanometers

In the pursuit of broadband photodetection materials from visible to mid-IR region, the fresh three-dimensional topological insulators (3D TIs) are theoretically predicted to be a promising candidate due to its Dirac-like stable surface state and high absorption rate. In this work, a self-powered inorganic/organic heterojunction photodetector based on n-type 3D TIs Bi2Te3 combined with p-type pentacene thin film was designed and fabricated. Surprisingly, it was found that the Bi2Te3/pentacene heterojunction photodetector exhibited a fast and wideband response from 450 to 3500 nm. The optimized responsivity of photodetector reached 14.89 A/W, along with the fast response time of 1.89 ms and the ultrahigh external quantum efficiency of 2840%. Moreover, at the mid-IR 3500 nm, our devices demonstrated a responsivity of 1.55 AW–1, which was several orders of magnitude higher than that of previous 3D TIs photodetector. These excellent properties indicate that the inorganic/organic heterojunction, that is, the combination of 3D TIs with organic materials, is an exciting structure for high performance photodetectors in the wideband detection region. On account of the fact that the device is constructed on mica substrate, this work also represents a potential scenario for flexible optoelectronic devices.