Recently, the research team led by Researcher Huo Nengjie from the School of Electronic Science and Engineering (School of Microelectronics), Faculty of Engineering, South China Normal University, has achieved two significant research breakthroughs in the field of two-dimensional material photoelectric devices. Two consecutive papers have been published in Laser & Photonics Reviews (Impact Factor: 10, Top B-level journal) and Advanced Functional Materials (Impact Factor: 19, Q1 Top journal), focusing on two-dimensional photoelectric devices and memristors, respectively.
The related findings have been published in Laser & Photonics Reviews under the title "Au NPs Intercalated MoTe2/ReS2 Heterojunction Photovoltaic Detectors for Image Processing and Motion Recognition." The publication lists Deng Qunrui (Ph.D. candidate enrolled in 2022), Chen Wenjie (Master's candidate enrolled in 2023), and Dr. Luo Gaoli from Wuhan University as co-first authors. Researcher Huo Nengjie and Special-term Associate Researcher Sun Yiming serve as corresponding authors, with our university as the primary affiliation.
The team designed and fabricated a MoTe2/Au nanoparticles/ReS2 heterojunction photovoltaic detector. By innovatively incorporating gold nanoparticles, the device achieves bidirectional photocurrent and polarization-sensitive photodetection within a single unit. The gold nanoparticles enhance light absorption efficiency and extend the response wavelength to 1550 nm by inducing localized surface plasmon resonance and hot electron injection, which synergistically modulate the interfacial band structure. The device demonstrates a responsivity of 8.35 A W⁻¹ and a specific detectivity of 9.6 × 10¹¹ Jones at 808 nm, representing a two-order-of-magnitude improvement over the pristine structure. Leveraging the bidirectional photocurrent and polarization imaging characteristics, combined with convolutional processing technology, the device further enables multimodal image processing tasks and motion recognition functions required for dynamic object detection and counting. This work provides an innovative hardware platform for intelligent traffic management systems and real-time monitoring in complex environments.
In recent years, the Huo Nengjie Research Group has focused on optoelectronic devices based on two-dimensional materials, conducting systematic explorations in neuromorphic computing hardware and integrated sensing-memory-computing architectures. Related achievements have been published in journals such as Nature Communications and Advanced Materials. Building on this foundation, the team has authored a review article that systematically summarizes recent advances in two-dimensional memristors and their applications in neural networks.
The review, entitled "Memristors Based on 2D Materials: Bridging Device Theory and Potential Applications," has been published in Advanced Functional Materials. Liu Xueting, a Ph.D. candidate enrolled in 2024, is the first author, with Researcher Huo Nengjie as the corresponding author. Our university is listed as the primary completing institution.
The study classifies the diverse electrical characteristics of two-dimensional material-based memristors and provides an in-depth discussion of the underlying physical mechanisms. It reviews key performance metrics of such memristors and elaborates on how these properties critically influence functional applications, offering valuable references and guidance for the further development of memristor technology. The article also examines the impact of various parameter variations on device performance, providing insights for performance optimization. Furthermore, it comprehensively summarizes recent progress in array architectures and system-level applications of two-dimensional memristors. Finally, the review outlines future prospects and highlights key unresolved challenges in current research. These contributions offer readers a concise yet thorough overview of the field and aim to inspire future research oriented toward commercial applications.
From device innovation to system integration, and from fundamental mechanisms to real-world applications, the Huo Nengjie team is advancing in a multi-dimensional strategy encompassing "materials–devices–algorithms–applications," consistently driving the evolution of two-dimensional optoelectronics toward smarter, more efficient, and lower-power next-generation technologies.
The above research projects have received sustained support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, and the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chip and Integration Technology, among other funding bodies.
Link：
http://doi.org/10.1002/lpor.202501737
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202520816