Passivated Single-Crystalline CH3NH3PbI3 Nanowire Photodetector with High Detectivity and Polarization Sensitivity

Photodetectors convert light signals into current or voltage outputs and are widely used for imaging, sensing, and spectroscopy. Perovskite-based photodetectors have shown high sensitivity and fast response due to the unprecedented low recombination loss in this solution processed semiconductor. Among various types of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ morphology (film, single crystal, nanowire), single-crystalline CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanowires are particularly interesting for photodetection because of their reduced grain boundary, morphological anisotropy, and excellent mechanical flexibility. The concomitant disadvantage associated with the CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanowire photodetectors is their large surface area, which catalyzes carrier recombination and material decomposition, thus significantly degrading device performance and stability. Here we solved this key problem by introducing oleic acid soaking to passivate surface defects of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanowires, which leads to a device with much improved stability and unprecedented sensitivity (measured detectivity of 2 × 10¹³ Jones). By taking advantage of their one-dimensional geometry, we also showcased, for the first time, the linear dichroic photodetection of our CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanowire photodetector.