Crossover between bulk and interface photovoltaic mechanisms in ferroelectric vertical heterostructure

TL;DR

This study reveals a photon energy-dependent crossover between bulk and interface photovoltaic mechanisms in ferroelectric heterostructures, clarifying previous debates and advancing understanding of ferroelectric photovoltaics.

Contribution

It demonstrates the transition from bulk to interface-dominated photovoltaic response in BiFeO3 heterostructures based on photon energy, providing new insights into the origin of photovoltaic effects.

Findings

Above-bandgap excitation induces bulk photovoltaic response.

Band-edge excitation involves interface band bending for carrier separation.

The results clarify conflicting reports on photovoltaic mechanisms.

Abstract

Bulk photovoltaic (BPVE) effect in crystals lacking inversion symmetry offers great potential for optoelectronic applications due to its unique properties such as above bandgap photovoltage and switchable photocurrent. Because of their large spontaneous polarizations, ferroelectric materials are ideal platforms for studying BPVE. However, identifying the origin of experimentally observed photovoltaic response is often challenging due to the entanglement between bulk and interface effects, leading to much debate in the field. This issue is particularly pronounced in vertical heterostructures, where the two effects are comparable. Here we report a crossover between bulk- and interface-dominant response in vertical BiFeO3 heterostructures when changing the photon energy. We show that well above-bandgap excitation leads to bulk photovoltaic response, but band-edge excitation requires interface band bending to separate the photocarriers. Our findings not only help to clarify contradicting reports in the literature, but also lay the ground for a deeper understanding of ferroelectric photovoltaic effect and its applications in various devices.