Recent progress in perovskite photodetectors: from carrier dynamics to device structures and applications

Electronic devices have undergone tremendous development recently due to the advent of perovskites. The excellent semiconducting properties of perovskites make them important candidates for innovative and disruptive applications such as photodetectors. The combination of large absorption coefficients, tunable bandgaps, and superior carrier mobilities renders perovskite materials highly desirable for high-performance photodetectors in image sensing, optical communication, environmental monitoring, and medical detection. To date, a variety of perovskites ranging from quantum dots, two-dimensional materials, and polycrystalline films to single crystals have been incorporated into two- or three-terminal devices to demonstrate the superior photodetection performance in terms of responsivity, detectivity, noise, linear dynamic range, and response speed. In particular, great success has been made in the broadband photodetection region spanning gamma-ray, X-ray to ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) light. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the recent progress of perovskite-based photodetectors. Beginning with discussing the carrier dynamics and elucidating the mechanisms of photo-induced carrier generation, transport, and recombination, the versatile device architectures, beneficial material properties, tailored perovskite microstructures, and carrier dynamics are subsequently described. The objective of this review is to not only shed light on the basic design principle of perovskite photodetectors in terms of the carrier dynamics, but also serve as a roadmap for further development of perovskite photodetectors in medicine, industry, and life science. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2025