Boosting bulk photovoltaic effect in transition metal dichalcogenide by edge semimetal contact
2025

Boosting Photovoltaic Effect in 3R-MoS2 with Edge Contact

publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Shuang Qiao, Jihong Liu, Chengdong Yao, Ni Yang, Fangyuan Zheng, Wan Mengqing, Philip C. Y. Chow, Ki Dong-Keun, Lijie Zhang, Yumeng Shi, Lain-Jong Li

Primary Institution: Hebei University

Hypothesis

Can the bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) in 3R-MoS2 be enhanced by using edge contact geometry with bismuth semimetal electrodes?

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that using edge contact geometry significantly enhances the bulk photovoltaic effect in 3R-MoS2, achieving over 100 times improvement in photocurrent.

Supporting Evidence

  • The edge contact configuration allows for better access to in-plane polarization, leading to enhanced photocurrent.
  • Using bismuth semimetal electrodes reduces the Schottky barrier, improving contact efficiency.
  • The study shows a significant increase in both short-circuit photocurrent and open-circuit photovoltage in edge contact devices compared to top contact devices.
  • Photocurrent measurements indicate that the edge contact configuration can effectively collect carriers generated in the 3R-MoS2 layers.

Takeaway

This study shows that by changing how we connect materials, we can make them work much better at turning light into electricity.

Methodology

The study involved fabricating devices with different contact styles (edge contact vs. top contact) and measuring their photocurrent and photovoltage under laser illumination.

Limitations

The study primarily focuses on a specific material (3R-MoS2) and may not generalize to all transition metal dichalcogenides.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/s41377-024-01691-z

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