Broadband optical-fiber-compatible photodetector based on a graphene-MoS2-WS2 heterostructure with a synergetic photo-generating mechanism

Abstract: Integrating two-dimensional (2D) crystals into optical fibers can grant them optoelectronic properties and extend their range of applications. However, our ability to produce complicated structures is limited by the challenges of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) manufacturing. Here, we successfully demonstrate a 2D-material heterostructure created on a fiber endface by integrating a microscale multilayer graphene-MoS2-WS2 van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure film on it. Hence, based on simple layer-by-layer transferring, a visible-to-infrared gating-free all-in-fiber photodetector (FPD) is produced. Our FPD exhibits an ultrahigh photoresponsivity of 6.6X107 A/W and a relatively fast response speed of 7 ms at 400 nm light wavelength, due to the strong light absorption and the built-in electric field of the heterostructure. Moreover, owning to the type-II staggered band alignments in the MoS2-WS2 heterostructure, the interlayer optical transition between the MoS2 and WS2 layers enable our FPD to sense the infrared light power, displaying a photoresponsivity of 17.1 A/W at 1550 nm. In addition, an inverse photoresponse is observed under an illuminating power higher than 1 mW at 1550 nm, indicating a competingphotocurrent generation mechanism, comprising the photoconductive and photo-bolometric effects. These findings offer a new strategy for developing broadband and gating-free photodetectors and other novel optoelectronic devices based on 2D crystals. Furthermore, our fabrication method may provide a new platform for the integration of optical fibers with semiconducting materials.