Photothermoelectric and photoelectric contributions to light detection in metal-graphene-metal photodetectors.

Echtermeyer, T J; Nene, P S; Trushin, M; Gorbachev, R V; Eiden, A L; Milana, S; Sun, Z; Schliemann, J et al. · Nano Lett · 2014

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Graphene's high mobility and Fermi velocity, combined with its constant light absorption in the visible to far-infrared range, make it an ideal material to fabricate high-speed and ultrabroadband photodetectors. However, the precise mechanism of photodetection is still debated. Here, we report wavelength and polarization-dependent measurements of metal-graphene-metal photodetectors. This allows us to quantify and control the relative contributions of both photothermo- and photoelectric effects, both adding to the overall photoresponse. This paves the way for a more efficient photodetector design for ultrafast operating speeds.