Magnetically tuned photoelectric response observed in nanoscale Co-SiO₂-Si structures

We report a large magnetically tuned lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) observed in nanoscale Co-SiO₂-Si structures. This tunable effect strongly depends on the location of two electrodes. The change ratio of lateral photovoltage (LPV) can reach a considerable value of 94.15% under an external magnetic field of 1.77 Teslas. This phenomenon is mainly ascribed to the asymmetric Lorentz force acting on the photo-current in the region of the edge area of the nanostructure. It adds a new functionality to traditional LPE-based devices, and provides a potential prospect for the development of multifunctional high-sensitive photoelectric devices or sensors.