Broadband Photodetection of Cd3As2: Review and Perspectives

Due to the topologically protected gapless electronic structure, Cadmium arsenide (Cd₃As₂) is predicted to possess large and high-speed photoresponses in a broad spectrum. The progressively developed device process and material technologies offer the possibility to integrate semimetals with semiconductors or 2D materials into heterojunctions, which can suppress the intrinsically high dark current. Hence, photodetectors based on Cd₃As₂ and its heterostructures has been gradually evolved in recent years, showing an excellent broadband photodetection capability. In this Perspective, we elaborate on several key parameters for evaluating the performance of a photodetection. We overview recent studies on photodetection and imaging based on Cd₃As₂ nanostructures or thin films, and further discuss the opportunities and challenges for Cd₃As₂ photodetectors.