Multispectral compressive sensing using a silicon-based PEC cell

Abstract

The properties of photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells have mainly been investigated with a focus on PEC hydrogen production. Because anodic current begins to flow when PEC cell is under illumination, and that this current varies as a function of light intensity, PEC cells can be used as a photodetector. Different from other image sensors, PEC cells can detect the light immersed in solutions due to their PEC properties. To verify the feasibility of using silicon-based PEC cell as an image sensor, we demonstrated a single pixel imaging system based on compressive sensing. Compressive sensing is an algorithm designed to recover signals from a small number of measurements, assuming that the signal of interest can be represented in a sparse way. In this study, we have demonstrated multispectral imaging using a silicon-based PEC cell with compressive sensing. The images were obtained in three primary colors (red, green, and blue). Due to the high photoresponse, stability and unique characteristic that silicon-based PEC cell can be used underwater, the silicon-based PEC cell is expected to be utilized in the future as a photodetector for various applications. We believe this study would be a great example of advanced developments in an optoelectronic system based on PEC cells.