Tellurium Nanorod-Interconnected Nanostructure Ensembles for Telecom Detection

<jats:p>Tellurium (Te) nanostructures are promising materials for short-wave infrared photodetection, yet ensemble devices remain limited by inefficient interparticle charge transport. While oxidepassivated Te nanoparticle films enable ensemble-level photodetection, carrier transport across particle–particle interfaces remains a bottleneck. Here, we introduce a morphologyengineering strategy in which Te nanorods form interconnected pathways within an ensemble of Te nanoparticles and nanoflakes, facilitating photocarrier transport across the heterogeneous network. The resulting device exhibits 1550 nm photodetection with a responsivity of up to 6 mA/W), comparable to our previously reported Te nanoparticle ensemble, while exhibiting substantially higher dark current due to enhanced electrical connectivity. Noise characterization reveals pronounced low-frequency excess noise, highlighting the influence of structural and interfacial heterogeneity on detector performance. Despite providing surface passivation, the TeO2 layer introduces an additional charge-transport barrier that can limit carrier collection. These results establish morphology and interface engineering as key parameters for optimizing ensemble-level Te nanostructure based photodetectors.</jats:p>