Boron Phosphide (bP) for High-Performance Optical Communication Wavelength Detection

Boron phosphide (bP) exhibits promising characteristics for optical communication wavelength detection. Its bandgap can be adjusted through changes in layer thickness, electric field, and strain, enabling detection across a wide range of wavelengths from visible to mid-infrared. Furthermore, its anisotropic crystal structure offers the potential to detect the polarization of light. Photodiode and gated photoconductor configurations have been demonstrated to exhibit high specific detectivity at room temperature. Additionally, bP displays a high hole mobility of 1000 cm2 V−1 s−1 and possesses fast response speeds, with bandwidths of up to 3 GHz already demonstrated.