Self‐Adaptive Polarized Photoresponse in Organic Single‐Crystal Phototransistors for Bionic Night‐Time Polarization Perception

Abstract

AbstractThe emerging semiconductor micro/nanocrystals with intrinsic anisotropy have provided new perspectives for low‐cost and simplified polarimetry. However, the low polarization sensitivity of state‐of‐the‐art polarimeters based on anisotropic semiconductors under weak and partially polarized light severely hinders their practical application in complex dim environments. Here, a photo‐adaptive polarization‐sensitive organic phototransistor (POL‐OPT) is demonstrated for bionic weak‐light polarization perception. The combination of highly anisotropic organic crystals with charge‐storage accumulative effect enables a self‐adaptive polarized photoresponse of the phototransistor to imitate the bionic scotopic adaptation process. Consequently, an ultrahigh dichroic ratio (DR) of over 105 is achieved through time accumulation under an ultraweak light intensity of 200 nW cm−2, which is among the highest in polarization‐sensitive photodetectors. Furthermore, POL‐OPT array is constructed for effective polarization perception in an artificial moonlit environment with a low degree of linear polarization (DoLP) down to 0.26, reaching the detection threshold of night‐active dung beetles. This study offers a new opportunity for the development of new‐generation high‐performance polarimeters for polarization imaging, bionic navigation, and artificial visual systems.