IISc Develops Self-powered UV Photodetector

The researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru have developed a cost-effective, high-performance, self-powered UV photodetector.
●    The self-powered UV photodetector can use the harvested optical energy for direct self-charging of energy storage devices such as supercapacitor. 
●    It can also be used for operating electronic devices in the absence of external power source.
●    Photodector is a device capable of sensing (detecting) or responding to electromagnetic energy, typically light by using the electrical effect of individual photons.
●    The researchers have developed the photodetector by integrating semiconducting vanadium doped zinc oxide (VZnO) nanoflakes with a conducting polymer.
●    The zinc oxide (ZnO) is the base material for UV detection which can be doped with vanadium to produce photodetectors that are self-powered.
●    The photodetector has superior performance in terms of faster detection of photo signals in the order of milliseconds even when UV light intensity is low.