Highly sensitive ultraviolet power meter based on two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructure

The increasing demand for high-precision ultraviolet (UV) detection in applications such as environmental monitoring, industrial inspection, and public safety necessitates the development of advanced UV power meters with high sensitivity, and low detection limits. In this work, we demonstrate a high performance UV photodetector based on the interface barrier controlled two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure of Au/hBN/MoS₂ on Si/SiO₂ substrate, which can function as a precise UV power meter with high precision. The device exhibits an ultrahigh photoresponsivity up to 1.03 × 10⁵ A W⁻¹ to 254 nm UVC light with an excellent spectral selectivity. In particular, the distinctive inverse relationship between the response time and incident light intensity enables accurate power calibration for incident UV irradiation. The device, demonstrated in a TO-46 packaged configuration, is capable of detecting UV light with intensities as low as 0.7 μW cm⁻². Its measurement accuracy is verified through the power radiation law, and the detection limit surpasses that of commercial UV power meters. These results highlight a promising strategy for developing next-generation UV photodetectors based on 2D heterostructures.