Strain-induced photoconductivity in thin films of Co doped amorphous carbon

Traditionally, strain effect was mainly considered in the materials with periodic lattice structure, and was thought to be very weak in amorphous semiconductors. Here, we investigate the effects of strain in films of cobalt-doped amorphous carbon (Co-C) grown on 0.7PbMg(1/3)Nb(2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) substrates. The electric transport properties of the Co-C films were effectively modulated by the piezoelectric substrates. Moreover, we observed, for the first time, strain-induced photoconductivity in such an amorphous semiconductor. Without strain, no photoconductivity was observed. When subjected to strain, the Co-C films exhibited significant photoconductivity under illumination by a 532-nm monochromatic light. A strain-modified photoconductivity theory was developed to elucidate the possible mechanism of this remarkable phenomenon. The good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results indicates that strain-induced photoconductivity may derive from modulation of the band structure via the strain effect.