Polarization Photovoltage Transistor enabling Amplified Responsivity and Sensitivity

With the rapid advancement of multi-dimensional detection, there is an urgent demand for next-generation polarization detectors capable of achieving high responsivity, fast speed, and strong polarization sensitivity, metrics that are typically limited by fundamental trade-offs. Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer a promising platform, yet their weak intrinsic anisotropy constrains polarization ratio (PR) and overall device performance. Here, we report a mid-infrared (MIR) polarization photovoltage field-effect transistor (PPFET) based on black phosphorus/molybdenum disulfide (BP/MoS2) heterostructures that combines polarization detection and amplification within a single architecture. By exploiting gate-tunable transconductance in the linear amplification region, the device achieves a PR up to 510 via a “stretching” mechanism, while maintaining a polarization angle sensitivity (PAS) up to ~46.57 mA/(W·degree) and response times down to ~0.8 μs under 3.5 μm illumination. This combination of high polarization sensitivity, responsivity, and speed establishes PPFETs as a powerful platform for high-performance MIR polarization detection and paves the way for compact, high-precision imaging systems. 2D polarization-sensitive detectors are usually limited by a responsivity-speed-polarization ratio trade-off. Here, the authors report mid-infrared polarization photovoltage field-effect transistors based on black phosphorus/MoS2 heterostructures, showing a polarization ratio of 510, polarization angle sensitivity of ~46.57 mA/(W·degree) and response times of ~0.8 μs under 3.5 μm illumination.