Enhanced photoresponse and polarization-sensitive photodetector coupling InGaN/GaN MQW heterojunction with Ag nanoparticles

InGaN-based pin-type visible light photodetectors (PDs), exhibiting enormous advantages of fast photoresponse speed and low noise, have drawn tremendous interest in visible light communication (VLC) applications. However, the insufficient light absorption capacity and low photoelectric conversion efficiency of InGaN-based pin heterojunction hinder the realization of high-sensitivity PDs for achieving this aim. Herein, plasmonic PDs based on InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQW) heterojunction with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) have been experimentally implemented, showing balanced abilities of enhanced photoresponse and polarization sensitivity in the blue light region. The PD's optimized responsivity, detectivity, and anisotropy ratio reach 0.176 A/W, 1.93 × 1010 Jones, and 1.395, respectively, under 405 nm illumination. The surface plasmon resonance-induced local field of Ag NPs enhances the electric field density and the light absorption density in the heterojunction region of InGaN/GaN MQWs, improving the photoresponse of PDs. This work proposes a valuable strategy for designing high-performance visible light PDs, providing an attractive stage for high-efficiency visible light communication applications.