Global Initiative advances next generation light sensors
A team of experts from academia and industry has joined forces in a ‘Consensus Statement’ on next-generation photodetectors based on emerging light-responsive materials.
Their aim is to provide a unified framework for characterising, reporting, and benchmarking new light-sensing technologies, in order to accelerate innovative applications across healthcare, smart homes, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Vincenzo Pecunia, head of the Sustainable Optoelectronics Research Group, has led the initiative culminating in the publication of the paper 'Guidelines for accurate evaluation of photodetectors based on emerging semiconductor technologies' in Nature Photonics.
Photodetectors are at the heart of countless smart devices and represent a global market valued at over $30 billion. Emerging photodetectors—including those based on organic semiconductors, perovskites, quantum dots, and 2D materials—could take this field further by enabling ultrathin, flexible, stretchable, and lightweight sensors.
These next-generation photodetectors promise lower costs, enhanced performance, and unique functionalities, paving the way for applications that were previously impossible.
Rapid advances in materials and device architectures, however, have outpaced the research community’s ability to consistently measure and compare performance—particularly as new phenomena and applications emerge thanks to the unique properties of these emerging technologies. “The field has been held back by inconsistent reporting and characterisation practices,” says Pecunia, lead author of the Nature Photonics paper.
“Without standardised methods, it’s difficult to know which technologies truly represent breakthroughs, and industry struggles to identify the ones that are ready to deliver real-world impact. Another challenge is that research has often focused on narrowly optimising a single performance metric, rather than taking the holistic approach needed to make these devices valuable for real-world applications.”
To tackle these challenges, Pecunia brought together 53 experts from 43 universities and research institutes, along with 11 companies—including Panasonic, Vishay, OmniVision, Exosens, and Thorlabs—spanning 16 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Together, they distilled best practices in light sensor characterisation that incorporate diverse perspectives, cutting-edge research, and real-world industry needs.
The resulting document establishes clear guidelines for evaluating key performance metrics—covering sensitivity, low-light performance, speed, stability, and more—and provides detailed checklists and experimental schematics to support reproducibility and meaningful benchmarking. “The vision of these guidelines is to help researchers and industry identify the true cutting edge as these technologies continue to develop, accelerating the translation of emerging photodetector technologies into everyday devices,” Pecunia explains.
Pecunia’s leadership in this initiative builds on more than 15 years of research experience in the field, with pioneering work in photodetectors made from printable materials such as organic and perovskite semiconductors. His focus has been on developing materials and device solutions that combine high-performance light sensing with low-cost fabrication methods, while advancing their sensitivity and ability to detect light in very narrow spectral windows.
In his Sustainable Optoelectronics Research Group, Pecunia is advancing light sensor technology for applications ranging from smart agriculture to environmental monitoring and industrial safety. By leveraging the best practices from the ‘Consensus Statement’, he aims to accelerate efforts to bring these technologies to fruition in real-world applications.
Reference
V. Pecunia et al.; Nature Photonics, 19 (11), 2025
