New perovskite-based neuromorphic sensor enables broadband day–night spatiotemporal perception

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Researchers from Soochow University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Yangzhou University and King Saud University have developed a broadband neuromorphic visual sensor capable of stable, all-day operation across both visible and near-infrared (Vis–NIR) spectral regimes. Inspired by the scotopic (low-light) vision of the cat eye, the device integrates optical sensing, temporal encoding, and synaptic plasticity within a single architecture, enabling efficient spatiotemporal perception under dynamically varying illumination. The device is based on a vertically coupled heterostructure combining a narrow-bandgap FASn 0.5 Pb 0.5 I 3 perovskite absorber with defect-engineered SnS 2 . This design leverages sulfur vacancy-mediated non-equilibrium carrier transport and trap-state dynamics to emulate retina-like temporal integration. Photogenerated carriers are captured and gradually released by defect states, creating a time-dependent transport process that naturally reproduces synaptic plasticity and temporal weighting without the need for complex external circuitry.