A newly-designed photoelectrochemical self-powered detector is applied to an α-Ga ₂ O ₃ nanorod array to realize the detection of solar-blind ultraviolet light (wavelengths below 300 nm) and fast response (rise time of 0.076 s and decay time of 0.056 s).

Broadband photodetectors with self-driven functions have attracted intensive scientific interest due to their low energy consumption and high optical gain. However, high-performance broadband self-driven photodetectors are still a significant challenge due to the complex fabrication processes, environmental toxicity, high production costs of traditional 3D semiconductor materials and sharply raised contact resistance, severe interfacial recombination of 2D materials and 2D/3D mixed dimension heterojunction. Here, 1D p-Te/2D n-Bi₂Te₃ heterojunctions are constructed by the simple and low-cost hydrothermal method. 1D p-Te/2D n-Bi₂Te₃ devices are applied in photoelectrochemical (PEC) photodetectors, with their high performance attributed to the good interfacial contacts reducing interface recombination. The device demonstrated a broad wavelength range (365–850 nm) with an/_ph//_dark as high as 377.45. The R_iD*, and external quantum efficiency (EQE) values of the device were as high as 12.07 mA/W, 5.87 × 10¹⁰ Jones, and 41.05%, respectively, which were significantly better than the performance of the prepared Bi₂Te₃ and Te devices. A comparison of the freshly fabricated device and the device after 30 days showed that 1D p-Te/2D n-Bi₂Te₃ had excellent stability with only 18.08% decay of photocurrent. It is anticipated that this work will provide new emerging material for future design and preparation of a high-performance self-driven broadband photodetector.

β-Ga₂O₃films have been obtained by thermal annealing of amorphous thin films that were deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering.

In recent years, rare-earth metals with triply oxidized state, lanthanide ions (Ln³⁺), have been demonstrated as dopants, which can efficiently improve the optical and electronic properties of metal halide perovskite materials. On the one hand, doping Ln³⁺ ions can convert near-infrared/ultraviolet light into visible light through the process of up-/down-conversion and then the absorption efficiency of solar spectrum by perovskite solar cells can be significantly increased, leading to high device power conversion efficiency. On the other hand, multi-color light emissions and white light emissions originated from perovskite nanocrystals can be realized via inserting Ln³⁺ ions into the perovskite crystal lattice, which functioned as quantum cutting. In addition, doping or co-doping Ln³⁺ ions in perovskite films or devices can effectively facilitate perovskite film growth, tailor the energy band alignment and passivate the defect states, resulting in improved charge carrier transport efficiency or reduced nonradiative recombination. Finally, Ln³⁺ ions have also been used in the fields of photodetectors and luminescent solar concentrators. These indicate the huge potential of rare-earth metals in improving the perovskite optoelectronic device performances.