Research on Infrared Detectors Based on 2D Materials: Progress and Challenges

Infrared detectors play a crucial role in military, industrial, and medical fields. However, traditional infrared detection materials have limitations. The silicon-based materials only cover the near-infrared range. HgCdTe is difficult to fabricate in large sizes and requires low-temperature operation. And InSb exhibits poor performance at room temperature, requiring deep cooling, which results in complex and expensive systems. Among infrared detection materials, two dimensional (2D) materials, with their advantages such as atomic-level thickness, tunable bandgap, and wide spectral response, have emerged as a key to breaking through these bottlenecks. This paper reviews the research progress of infrared detectors based on 2D materials. The review first introduces 5 core working mechanisms, including photoconduction and photovoltaic effects, followed by an analysis of key performance metrics such as responsivity and specific detectivity. Then, 3 representative types of 2D material detectors such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and black phosphorus are examined. Subsequently, addressing issues like weak light absorption and high dark current in 2D materials, device optimization strategies are explored. Finally, the paper provides a brief summary and outlook on 2D material-based infrared detectors.