Polarization-resolved imaging is gaining importance for next-generation machine vision, yet most practical implementations still rely on external polarizers or micro-polarizer arrays, which introduce photon loss, resolution penalties, wavelength-depen...
Polarization-resolved imaging is gaining importance for next-generation machine vision, yet most practical implementations still rely on external polarizers or micro-polarizer arrays, which introduce photon loss, resolution penalties, wavelength-dependent artifacts, and alignment complexity at shrinking pixel pitches. This dissertation presents a filter-free route to polarization-sensitive photodetection by exploiting crystallographic anisotropy in one-dimensional (1D) van der Waals (vdW) materials, where strong intra-chain bonding and weak inter-chain coupling promote anisotropic optical transitions and carrier dynamics.
A crystallography-driven screening framework is established to prioritize polarization active 1D vdW candidates beyond empirical selection. Materials were classified by chain geometry (linear, zigzag, helical) and inter-chain separation, and a practical structural anisotropy factor (S) was defined from crystallographic descriptors. Eight representative candidates were synthesized and evaluated under a unified polarization-resolved micro-spectroscopy protocol using the absorbance anisotropy ratio (A∥/A⊥). MoI3 exhibited the strongest optical dichroism, reaching A∥/A⊥ = 9.45 at 661 nm, and was therefore selected for device demonstration. MoI3 nanowire photodetectors were fabricated using a probe-assisted dry-transfer electrode approach to minimize channel damage and form van der Waals contacts. Under linearly polarized illumination, the devices achieved a maximum photoconductive dichroic ratio of 22.6 at 635 nm with broadband polarization sensitivity in the visible range.
Mechanism analysis using contact energetics through ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, spatial photocurrent mapping, and length-dependent collection modeling indicates that the giant optoelectronic anisotropy arises from the combined contributions of intrinsic dichroic absorption, anisotropic transport (effective mobility–lifetime product), and contact-localized non-uniform generation and collection in a 1D geometry. Overall, this work provides a practical screening guideline for polarization-active 1D vdW materials and a MoI3-based device strategy toward compact, filter-free polarization imaging sensors.