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Surface plasmons regulate photon absorbance, photo response and carrier injection in Ga2O3 photodetectors |
| Zhi-Kang Song(宋志康), Xiang-Xi Meng(孟祥熙), Pu-Yang Gao(高溥阳), Jia-Han Zhang(张嘉汉)†, and Zeng Liu(刘增)‡ |
| School of Electronic Information Engineering, Electronic-Photonic Smart Sensing Device R&D Team, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Intelligent Communication and Sensing and Signal Processing, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China |
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Abstract Ultrawide bandgap semiconductor gallium oxide (Ga$_{2}$O$_{3}$), with a natural bandgap of approximately 4.9 eV, has been extensively utilized in constructing solar-blind deep ultraviolet (DUV) photodetectors. To address the persistent challenges of high dark current and low photoresponsivity, metal nanostructured surface plasmons have been introduced to generate localized electric fields, thereby enhancing photodetection performance. Incident photons excite hot electrons within the metallic structures, which are subsequently injected into the photoactive semiconductor layer. When the resonance peak of the plasmonic structure matches the absorption peak of Ga$_{2}$O$_{3}$ layer, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) significantly boosts photon absorption and responsivity. Concurrently, the localized interfacial barrier restricts carrier transport, effectively suppressing dark current. This enhancement stems from charge density oscillations within the metallic nanoparticles, facilitating strong plasmon-exciton coupling. In this review, we systematically discuss Ga$_{2}$O$_{3}$-based solar-blind DUV photodetectors decorated with metal nanostructures, covering photoconductive, array, and heterojunction architectures. Furthermore, advances in broadband detection mechanisms, complex plasmonic designs, and subwavelength optics are explored. Compared with conventional devices, plasmon-enhanced photodetectors typically exhibit responsivity improvements from $\sim 0.1$ A/W to over tens of A/W and reduced dark current by 1-2 orders of magnitude. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives are outlined. However, challenges such as poor controllability of nanoparticle distribution, stability issues, and the trade-off between enhanced responsivity and increased noise remain to be addressed.
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Received: 18 March 2026
Revised: 02 April 2026
Accepted manuscript online: 14 April 2026
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PACS:
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85.60.Gz
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(Photodetectors (including infrared and CCD detectors))
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| Fund: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 62564011, 62204125, U23A20349, and 62501320), the Steed Plan of Inner Mongolia University for Introducing High-Level Talents (Grant Nos. 10000-A24199006 and 10000-A24106015), the Inner Mongolia University Experimental Technology Research Project in 2026 (Self-Made and Modified Equipment Project) (Grant No. SYJS2026007), the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region-level Scientific Research Startup Fund (Grant Nos. 21700-252904 and 21700-252905), the Program for Innovative Research Team in Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China (Grant No. NMGIRT2503), the Basic Scientific Research Funding for Universities Directly Affiliated with the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China (Grant No. 2026JBKY002), and the Young Scientists Fund (Type A) of the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China (Grant Nos. 2026QA016). |
Corresponding Authors:
Jia-Han Zhang, Zeng Liu
E-mail: jiahan_zhang@outlook.com;zengliu@imu.edu.cn
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Cite this article:
Zhi-Kang Song(宋志康), Xiang-Xi Meng(孟祥熙), Pu-Yang Gao(高溥阳), Jia-Han Zhang(张嘉汉), and Zeng Liu(刘增) Surface plasmons regulate photon absorbance, photo response and carrier injection in Ga2O3 photodetectors 2026 Chin. Phys. B 35 088501
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