Effect of Band Symmetry on Photocurrent Production in Quasi-One-Dimensional Transition-Metal Trichalcogenides

Photocurrent production in quasi-one-dimensional (1D) transition-metal trichalcogenides, TiS₃(001) and ZrS₃(001), was examined using polarization-dependent scanning photocurrent microscopy. The photocurrent intensity was the strongest when the excitation source was polarized along the 1D chains with dichroic ratios of 4:1 and 1.2:1 for ZrS₃ and TiS₃, respectively. This behavior is explained by symmetry selection rules applicable to both valence and conduction band states. Symmetry selection rules are seen to be applicable to the experimental band structure, as is observed in polarization-dependent nanospot angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Based on these band symmetry assignments, it is expected that the dichroic ratios for both materials will be maximized using excitation energies within 1 eV of their band gaps, providing versatile polarization sensitive photodetection across the visible spectrum and into the near-infrared.