Subwavelength angle-sensing photodetectors inspired by directional hearing in small animals

Sensing the direction of sounds gives animals clear evolutionary advantage. For large animals, with an ear-to-ear spacing that exceeds audible sound wavelengths, directional sensing is simply accomplished by recognizing the intensity and time differences of a wave impinging on its two ears¹. Recent research suggests that in smaller, subwavelength animals, angle sensing can instead rely on a coherent coupling of soundwaves between the two ears^2-4. Inspired by this natural design, here we show a subwarvelength photodetection pixel that can measure both the intensity and incident angle of light. It relies on an electrical isolation and optical coupling of two closely spaced Si nanowires that support optical Mie resonances^5-7. When these resonators scatter light into the same free-space optical modes, a non-Hermitian coupling results that affords highly sensitive angle determination. By straightforward photocurrent measurements, we can independently quantify the stored optical energy in each nanowire and relate the difference in the stored energy between the wires to the incident angle of a light wave. We exploit this effect to fabricate a subwavelength angle-sensitive pixel with angular sensitivity, δθ = 0.32°.

Author Correction: Subwavelength angle-sensing photodetectors inspired by directional hearing in small animals

In the version of this Letter originally published, Zongfu Yu was mistakenly not noted as being a corresponding author; this has now been corrected in all versions of the Letter.

Optical metasurfaces for high angle steering at visible wavelengths

Metasurfaces have facilitated the replacement of conventional optical elements with ultrathin and planar photonic structures. Previous designs of metasurfaces were limited to small deflection angles and small ranges of the angle of incidence. Here, we have created two types of Si-based metasurfaces to steer visible light to a large deflection angle. These structures exhibit high diffraction efficiencies over a broad range of angles of incidence. We have demonstrated metasurfaces working both in transmission and reflection modes based on conventional thin film silicon processes that are suitable for the large-scale fabrication of high-performance devices.

Picosecond Electric-Field-Induced Threshold Switching in Phase-Change Materials

Many chalcogenide glasses undergo a breakdown in electronic resistance above a critical field strength. Known as threshold switching, this mechanism enables field-induced crystallization in emerging phase-change memory. Purely electronic as well as crystal nucleation assisted models have been employed to explain the electronic breakdown. Here, picosecond electric pulses are used to excite amorphous Ag_{4}In_{3}Sb_{67}Te_{26}. Field-dependent reversible changes in conductivity and pulse-driven crystallization are observed. The present results show that threshold switching can take place within the electric pulse on subpicosecond time scales-faster than crystals can nucleate. This supports purely electronic models of threshold switching and reveals potential applications as an ultrafast electronic switch.

Li Intercalation in MoS2: In Situ Observation of Its Dynamics and Tuning Optical and Electrical Properties

Two-dimensional layered materials like MoS2 have shown promise for nanoelectronics and energy storage, both as monolayers and as bulk van der Waals crystals with tunable properties. Here we present a platform to tune the physical and chemical properties of nanoscale MoS2 by electrochemically inserting a foreign species (Li(+) ions) into their interlayer spacing. We discover substantial enhancement of light transmission (up to 90% in 4 nm thick lithiated MoS2) and electrical conductivity (more than 200×) in ultrathin (∼2-50 nm) MoS2 nanosheets after Li intercalation due to changes in band structure that reduce absorption upon intercalation and the injection of large amounts of free carriers. We also capture the first in situ optical observations of Li intercalation in MoS2 nanosheets, shedding light on the dynamics of the intercalation process and the associated spatial inhomogeneity and cycling-induced structural defects.

Polarization-sensitive broadband photodetector using a black phosphorus vertical p-n junction

The ability to detect light over a broad spectral range is central to practical optoelectronic applications and has been successfully demonstrated with photodetectors of two-dimensional layered crystals such as graphene and MoS2. However, polarization sensitivity within such a photodetector remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate a broadband photodetector using a layered black phosphorus transistor that is polarization-sensitive over a bandwidth from ∼400 nm to 3,750 nm. The polarization sensitivity is due to the strong intrinsic linear dichroism, which arises from the in-plane optical anisotropy of this material. In this transistor geometry, a perpendicular built-in electric field induced by gating can spatially separate the photogenerated electrons and holes in the channel, effectively reducing their recombination rate and thus enhancing the performance for linear dichroism photodetection. The use of anisotropic layered black phosphorus in polarization-sensitive photodetection might provide new functionalities in novel optical and optoelectronic device applications.

Strained germanium thin film membrane on silicon substrate for optoelectronics

This work presents a novel method to introduce a sustainable biaxial tensile strain larger than 1% in a thin Ge membrane using a stressor layer integrated on a Si substrate. Raman spectroscopy confirms 1.13% strain and photoluminescence shows a direct band gap reduction of 100meV with enhanced light emission efficiency. Simulation results predict that a combination of 1.1% strain and heavy n(+) doping reduces the required injected carrier density for population inversion by over a factor of 60. We also present the first highly strained Ge photodetector, showing an excellent responsivity well beyond 1.6um.

Atomic layer deposition of lead sulfide quantum dots on nanowire surfaces

Quantum dots provide unique advantages in the design of novel optoelectronic devices owing to the ability to tune their properties as a function of size. Here we demonstrate a new technique for fabrication of quantum dots during the nucleation stage of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of PbS. Islands with sub-10 nm diameters were observed during the initial ALD cycles by transmission electron microscopy, and in situ observations of the coalescence and sublimation behavior of these islands show the possibility of further modifying the size and density of dots by annealing. The ALD process can be used to cover high-aspect-ratio nanostructures, as demonstrated by the uniform coating of a Si nanowire array with a single layer of PbS quantum dots. Photoluminescence measurements on the quantum dot/nanowire composites show a blue shift when the number of ALD cycles is decreased, suggesting a route to fabricate unique three-dimensional nanostructured devices such as solar cells.

Plasmon-assisted chemical vapor deposition

We introduce a new chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process that can be used to selectively deposit materials of many different types. The technique makes use of the plasmon resonance in nanoscale metal structures to produce the local heating necessary to initiate deposition when illuminated by a focused low-power laser. We demonstrate the technique, which we refer to as plasmon-assisted CVD (PACVD), by patterning the spatial deposition of PbO and TiO(2) on glass substrates coated with a dispersion of 23 nm gold particles. The morphology of both oxide deposits is consistent with local laser-induced heating of the gold particles by more than 150 degrees C. We show that temperature changes of this magnitude are consistent with our analysis of the heat-loss mechanisms. The technique is general and can be used to spatially control the deposition of virtually any material for which a CVD process exists.