Tutorial: Lead sulfide colloidal quantum dot infrared photodetector

Lead sulfide (PbS) colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) is emerging as a promising material for infrared photodetectors because of its strong absorbance in the near infrared region, the tunable energy gap, facile fabrication, and excellent electrical properties. This Tutorial gives a comprehensive introduction of materials and devices of PbS CQD based infrared photodetectors. First, we introduce the concept of CQDs and the typical characters of CQDs. The synthesis of PbS CQDs and a solid film fabrication method are then summarized. Subsequently, the study for defect passivation and carrier transport in a PbS CQD thin film is presented. In the end, the device structure, the electrical diagram, and strategies for enhancing device performance of three kinds of infrared photodetector are concluded.