Design of hybrid 2D/quantum dot sensor materials for low-cost, uncooled mid-infrared sensing

Uncooled mid-wave infrared (MWIR) image sensors, which are compact, lightweight, and energy-efficient, are expected to take a dominant position in the future infrared market. As an alternative to traditional epitaxially-grown infrared semiconductors used in high-performance cryo-cooled MWIR imagers, the concept of hybrid sensor materials is gaining attention. Specifically, hybrid structures combining two-dimensional (2D) materials, known for their superior carrier transport properties, with colloidal quantum dots (QDs), which offer excellent optical properties, have shown record-high room-temperature infrared responsivities with spectral responses extending to short-wave infrared. The most significant potential of this new hybrid material technology lies in the underexplored MWIR spectral region. Herein, we discuss the design rules for realizing a MWIR hybrid 2D/QD sensor material and demonstrate its room temperature optical and electrical performance using proof-of-concept devices operating in the MWIR spectral region without gate biasing.